International Day of the Girl.

The past week has involved very fired up discussions about feminism as our new English topic involves 'Fashioning Feminism'. Pun intended. I have never been very involved in feminist movements and speaking out about the issue but this week has given me a lot to think about and the the truly complex nature of the oppression women are still suffering under. 

Today was about recognising the International Day of the Girl and I go to an all girls school so it was made very clear that today was one to be noted. 

http://dayofthegirl.org

Today celebrates the first UN Day of the Girl and the speak out against gender prejudice.

The website illustrates 11 simple things you can do to support the movement to improve the lives of girl and I am so utterly FIRED UP right now that I am literally making a check list.   http://dayofthegirl.org/11otherideas/

So get ready 

Because BAM! GAL POWER YA'LL 

Self-made crown, hand-me-down skirt, vintage top, the superman cape was in my dress up box and I have no idea where it came from. 

And of course on a more serious note. 

It's hard to challenge the social norm views of gender roles. As soon as we are born we subconsciously mimic the things we see. This means the thousands of images of models and the ideal woman  are something many women try to obtain, even though in actual fact there is almost no one in the whole of the population of women who can reflect this "narrow scope" of an image. And this is often a known fact within our culture, yet we judge ourselves and other people who do not meet it. 

Society is based on the division of men a women. A girl in my class shared how she went to Tanzania and there was no word for men and women but instead there was only one term and I was utterly mind.blown. when really I think something like that shouldn't be so surprising. 

I know its only been one week, but I have grown so much more comfortable with myself as a person and as a girl. Being a person does not involve acting like a male or a female but expressing yourself in any way you wish, and I think that is what challenging the oppression of women should involve. 

Yeah I know you guys are seriously emotional right now but this rant/discussion/some other third thing needed to be released from the cage, and I need to pay tribute to my class as they  triggered this whole discussion.