Name: Olivia Fiinn
Grade: Year 11
Age: 17 Years
School: St Joseph’s College
Hometown and State: Albany, Western Australia
LIFTING US UP – How can women and girls empower each other and their communities in times of uncertainty and change?
When I was twelve, I joined the Albany Police Rangers, which is a bit like army cadets/scouts. It is an adventure based out-of-school activity designed to teach kids a range of skills from leadership to survival, team work to drill commands. Rangers follow a rank structure, like the police, so you start as a recruit and then you can get promoted based of your ability. As I said I started when I was twelve, I walked in and was introduced to a girl, she was seventeen and she was a Senior Ranger (the highest rank the unit had at the time) there were only four girls in Rangers and around 20 guys. The girl was the highest rank and she was also our RSM (drill sergeant). She was in charge of more than 20 boys, called our drills and ran all of our lessons. I went home that night after finishing and decided that I loved Rangers, I also decided that I would work as hard as I could in order to be promoted because I decided that I wanted to be like that girl. I am sixteen now and I am a Ranger Sargent. I am one rank higher than what the girl was and I’m the first ever female Ranger Sargent in the Albany unit. That girl became one of my idols. I wanted to be like her so I tried my best and now, even though she has left, and I am a higher rank than she was, every time I’m scared or I don’t know what to do I think of her and just how amazing she was when I first met her. She empowered me and I hope that younger recruits who join can look to me for inspiration when they need it. This is empowering women. That girl does not know how much she actually inspired me, she probably has no idea that I even remember her or any idea that I am writing about her now.
Every day girls empower others without even knowing it. They give out compliments, tell stories about their lives, laugh with their friends, and excel at their sports, their jobs, their school subjects. These girls inspire people every day without even meaning to. You can tell when someone is passionate about something their body language changes, their facial expressions change, and they put all their effort into what they are doing whether they are telling a story or climbing a mountain. I have been inspired by so many people in my lifetime, from people like my mum and aunties, my friends, my sister (just don’t tell her that), even teachers. I guess what I am trying to say is that all you need to do to empower others is to just be your best self. Say what you think, stand up for yourself and your beliefs, laugh without being self-conscious. You being yourself will empower others to be their selves. They will look to you as a leader and feel compelled to be their selves. Being yourself and being proud of who you are will empower others around you to embrace their own qualities. An important part of empowering women is to create strong female leaders to be role models and mentors, to help empower other young women, especially in times of challenge.