Finalist 2021: Olivia Hogarth

Name: Olivia Hogarth

Grade: Year 12

Age: 17 Years 

School: St Mary Mackillop College

Hometown and State: Metricup, Western Australia

COURAGE TO CHALLENGE: what is the role of rural women in driving change in their communities?

In the absence of women, there would be an absence of progression for this nation.
When a mother touches the land and calls it home, her ancestor of mother nature whispers guidance to protect and to nurture the soil and the society who walks upon it.
It is instinct.
It is strength.
It is to be a woman.
To confine a gender to a box is to generalise, to be ignorant.
But to witness the eternal feminine in isolation of rural Australia, the concept of courage to improve, to grow and to shake stigmas presents itself time and time again.
When a tree falls in a forest and no one hears it, it still fell. When we don’t recognise our women’s impact of our communities through non-profit groups we deprive our communities and yet they still work on in the constraints of budgets that declines in our ignorance. Courage is to fix a sinking boat, and compassion is doing it when the patriarchy drilled holes in all sides of the ship for fun.

As the water snake winds its way through the town and the grey clouds take rein upon the sky for what feels never ending.
Our women, both youth and youthful souls come together and they paint the skies, they paint the town and without the education they were deprived of due to their isolation in a more male dominated era. They take an economy and carry it on their shoulders while carrying the morale of thousands as winter takes hold of a town meant for surf enthusiasts to pass by and tourists to enjoy the sunny weather. When the beauty of our town becomes more rugged and grass plains turn to a muddy marsh; they come together and bring a rainbow and paint smiles upon the locals and build a lighthouse to guide tourists back.
It is beautiful.
It is society as innocent as a flower.
It is a group as strong as an army.
It is a group of people that take on the same concepts as the leaders we look to as a whole nation and with cooperation show inclusivity, that has been absent in the towns where next day delivery is incomprehensible and instead of sitting in blissful ignorance of conservative ideals.
Women gave the biggest news flash known to rural Australia.
We are in the 21st century and we will not be left behind.