Name: Charlotte White
Grade: Year 10
Age: 16 Years
School: Goulburn Valley Grammar School, Shepparton
Hometown and State: Yarrawonga, Victoria, Victoria
LIFTING US UP – How can women and girls empower each other and their communities in times of uncertainty and change?
In its purest, simplest form, empowerment is education. And, the opportunity of the educated to use that understanding to educate others.
But what does empowerment look like in the real world?
Defined, empowerment is the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and rights. When I think of the leaders in this field, I think of people like Congresswoman for New York’s 14th District, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Recently, she has made headlines for an eloquent speech in the House of Representatives in America in which she responded to derogatory comments made towards her by Representative Yoho, a Congressman. She shone a light on misogynistic behaviour, and called out those who encourage it, but refused to belittle those who participated. Her respect, even when treated so poorly herself, makes her an incredible role model.
Politics is a field largely male inhabited, and almost entirely seen through the male gaze. In her speech she states that the ghastly language used against her ‘is not new, and that is the problem.’
AOC as she is known, empowered me, and presumably many others through delivering this speech, to stop allowing the cultural ideology towards women. Her speech, which I only watched through a screen , was immeasurably inspiring.
She is a woman who empowers others. AOC stimulates the growth of gender-equality.
However important this gesture was and will continue to be, women do not need to be on the world stage to motivate gender equality.
In my small country community, I can think of many women who inspire me to empower both others and myself in simple ways, like working in Agriculture, a generally male dominated field, and when I look a little deeper, I notice that they have all had incredibly tough times in their lives. This fact makes them even more inspiring. These women have found their voice and stood up to stereotypes within the industry, allowing them to endure and survive. These women are the people I think of when I need the leaders of my community, because they know how to adapt to change.
Times have always been uncertain and changing in relation to gender equality, even more so today, so how can we continue our collective move towards empowerment?
We focus on the little things.
In relation to this beautiful word, empowerment, I believe that this means going back to step one of this journey, the step which I call ‘acknowledgement’. The simplest way to give confidence to our women is to recognise them. Their glory, their hardship, and everything in-between. In tough times, all we, as a society, need to do is acknowledge the incredible women of our communities who motivate others, and those who need empowering.
We, as a community, must continue our journey to claiming the rights of our women and girls, and to do this we simply need to open our eyes. Seek out the women in your community who do these little things extraordinarily well and lift their voices, therefore encouraging women around you to do the same.
For, in the words of Paul Kelly, from little things, big things grow.
This Power Trip is kindly being sponsored by AgriFutures Australia
