I have always been aware of my privilege, My privilege;
- Of being born; Femicides are ongoing at astronomical levels worldwide;
- To attain any level of education I aspire to; Malala was shot in the head by the Taliban for daring to advocate for female education. And globally, there are many girls just like her;
- To choose when I want to get married; 12 million Girl children are married off before 18 years of age;
- To decide when I want to conceive; millions of young women have no access to sexual and reproductive health education and services;
- To be able to speak and mind and my truth; women are continuously being silenced in Countries, workplaces and homes;
- To be safe and free of human trafficking; the majority of human trafficking victims are women and girls;
- To be free of all forms of Gender-Based Violence; women around the world continue to experience different forms of Gender-Based Violence
My awareness of my privilege is why I will always lend my voice in the advocacy for girls’ and women’s rights and #ChooseToChallenge policies, practices and stereotypes that harm girls and women in any way.
So here is to being a;
Woman
Force of nature
Mother
Leader
Friend
Sister
Mentor
Partner
Force to be reckoned with
An Activist
Here is to;
- Achieving goals and dismantling social structures that perpetuate violence, against not just Women and Girls but also Men and Boys;
- Supporting fellow women in their unique and powerful journeys;
- My Tribe of Women, who have built a brick wall of support around me. I will always be in awe of the support I have received from you all;
Strong women; May we be them, May we know them, May we raise them.
By Dr MaryJane Nweje
MSc IHTM Student