When I was younger my parents told me a story of a girl who went by the peculiar name of Miss Muffet. Long ago, Miss Muffet, the daughter of a spider researcher, sat innocently on her tuffet, thoroughly enjoying her curds and whey. It seemed this young girl followed a continuous day-to-day cycle, basking in the great pleasure of childhood, where one is not required to venture out of a comfort zone very often. The grass she sprawled upon was lush and the pretty flowers surrounding her attracted an abundance of beautiful butterflies that kept her company throughout the hours she spent relaxing.

She lived this life for years on end, until one day a spider appeared and swiftly stole her joy. Throwing her curds and whey up in the air, and jumping to her feet, Miss Muffet sent a deafening shrill across the valleys that surrounded her. She quickly escaped the scene leaving the place she adored all because it threw her far out of her comfort zone.

I found great pleasure in hearing Miss Muffet’s little story most nights as I lay in my comfortable bed, inside my comfortable house, with my loving parents. To say I replicated Miss Muffet’s lifestyle would be an understatement, but so do many children who live in Australia.

Many children are fortunate to be fed, educated, medicated and cared for in the exact same way to Miss Muffet, remaining within the realms of comfortableness for much of our adolescents. While at times that zone with butterflies and grassy hills is pleasurable, our fear restricts us from challenging and seeking change within our lives and society.

Therefore, I believe our role, as young women, is to reach far beyond the realms of our comfort zones and become comfortable with being uncomfortable. While research highlights we need this zone for the first years of adulthood, it’s imperative that we eventually expand our zone of comfort in order to confront the ‘spiders’ or issues prevalent in society.

It’s time that we fight on issues such as sexism, economic inequality, reproductive discrimination and gender violence, because while Australian women do have access to basic human needs such as food and water, we still fail to completely have equal opportunities.

I believe young women should lead by example and teach others that stepping outside of your comfort zone, raising your voice and advocating for change is imperative to generate action. It is vital for us to do so, in order to engage other young women from rural communities, as these places often lack groups for activists to unite.

It’s time we get off our tuffets and step from our zones; away from the lush grass and beautiful butterflies. Let’s generate societal change in the smallest of rural communities, to the biggest of inner cities, working together as a united force challenging our fears and societies greatest inequalities.