Help our local partners realise their vision of hope for their communities
20 November 2020
Today, confidence is more important than ever before. We exist and engage in constant battles to be heard above the noise and chaos that has suffused into our lives. The female empowerment movement is another battle to claim our rights as women, to have our voices equally appreciated, and our ideas and values equally acknowledged. That is not to say that we deserve more attention than men, but instead, we deserve that same opportunity to be recognised. For me, Women’s empowerment is about being confident in standing up for what you believe in and although we are focusing on women, I think that this movement is a catalyst for the movement towards global equality.
The power of the female voice and opinion is consistently demonstrated in all aspects of life. Traditional and ingrained prejudices relating to the role of women have often confined us to maternal and domestic duties, sidelining us for too long. As a young girl of Indian Asian descent, I am constantly inspired by this growing movement as it gives me the confidence to believe that I can be the change I want to see in the world. Recent events such as the election of Kamala Harris, a woman of Indian and Black heritage, as Vice-President-elect of the United States of America, make me incredibly proud. Her election to this position, alongside the increase in women in power in general and their enormous contributions to transforming our world into a better place, is simply fantastic.
In my opinion, one of the most uplifting aspects of HART’s work is the ability to unite individuals in the face of adversity and affliction. The Shan Women’s Action Network (SWAN), during this celebration of women’s empowerment, is a brilliant illustration of how this is achieved. This group trains healthcare workers, educates on reproduction, provides refuge for those fleeing crises; all while simultaneously bringing to light issues of gender inequality, and how to challenge it. These women have so much to give and by supporting them in their efforts to deliver vital services to villages in Burma, HART provides the platform from which they can challenge several stereotyped aspects of healthcare in addition to the many misconceptions about women.
Hard work is the only way to propel this movement forward. It is surprising that even in 2020, amidst all of the pandemonium, we are still campaigning for equal rights, equal pay and equal opportunity, but they say the obstacles that are in our way are to test if what we want is worth fighting for. Having come so far in the past 100 years, since women were given the right to vote in the United Kingdom – since we first began to embrace what women’s empowerment means – I know that this is most definitely worth fighting for. We all as individuals have a part to play if we wish to bring about any form of change. This movement is my motivation to continue to do my part in the journey for women to reach the equality that we deserve.
Click here to learn more about SWAN.
By Yudeesha Sen, HART Student Ambassador