Name: Bailey Falls
Grade: Year 10
Age: 16 Years
School: Ulverstone Secondary College
Hometown and State: Ulverstone, Tasmania
LIFTING US UP – How can women and girls empower each other and their communities in times of uncertainty and change?
In times of uncertainty and change, it’s quite easy to shadow the unanswered questions in society. It’s quite easy to disregard the uncertainty until someone else fixes it. This does not reflect empowerment on to the community, it’s just protecting the community from negative thoughts. While this may be helpful, there’s no actual resolution. Too many problems, like the oppression of girls in school, in comparison to boys, are happening on a day-to-day basis. When girls get to high school, they don’t have the confidence they may have had in primary school as a young girl, because there just isn’t enough empowerment. This can lead on into a woman’s life, during employment, they may be marginalised because their voice isn’t considered important. As a community, we need to be leaders throughout difficult times such as this. To be a leader through times of uncertainty and change, in my opinion, is to encourage other girls and women to speak up about their opinion, to be a role model for women and girls around you, and to be truly honest with everybody in the community.
So how can us as women, guide and empower women and girls in a positive and influential way?
I thoroughly believe the first way we can empower others in our community is checking in on everyone. A simple check in on someone at school, in your workplace or sport etc. can all have an effect on somebodies day. With the influence of checking in on a friend, a family member, a person you don’t usually talk to, can be passed on throughout the community, making it a positive place for everybody.
As women, we need to encourage others to have a voice. We all deserve to have a say about what we think. This can be as simple as asking another woman about their opinion on a local or global issue. A way of encouragement I would love to create or see created could be to organise a program that would encourage girls to speak publicly, sharing their views on different global topics. If this were to happen, other girls and women start to believe in their own power and strength. They’d also have the feeling of being equipped to take on any challenge they could think of. Locally, this could make a big difference, leading to implementation of larger empowerment programs being held nationally.
During times of uncertainty, it’s common to feel stressed or anxious. We need to be there for the people around us. By setting an example and following community guidelines we can make a global change for women and girls. What good is a community when we don’t take care of each other? Losing connection with people around you can feel isolating, why do this when you can be the change?
With the benefit of these implementations, we would absolutely see change. We would see change in the way that women see themselves and the vitality of their opinions. The community would have a more diverse and gender equal society. We need to address these changes more frequently, which will in turn, benefit women and girls not just locally but globally.
With action comes responsibility, and with responsibility comes leadership. Strong, influential leadership can empower everyone around you to do the same. Encourage women, no matter your gender, or your place in society. This can be the change that can really empower women and young girls.
This Power Trip is kindly being sponsored by the CWA Tasmania