Today is International Day of the Girl Child (IDG), a holiday that focuses attention on the issues young women face and to promote the empowerment of school aged girls.
Senior Lanee Connell weighed in on the importance of this lesser-known holiday in the United States.
“I think this holiday is important for all girls who are going into a “man based” field,” Connell said. “Let the guys know that you have the drive and confidence in yourself to make it to the top and that you can succeed at anything even when it seems impossible.”
Connell is an avid member of SkillsUSA, an organization dedicated to giving experience to high school students wanting a career in the trade industry.
“Being a part of SkillsUSA has made a big difference in my life,” Connell said. “Sadly, I am the only girl at Westside in the club currently, but being in skills has really given me the opportunity to see what it’s like to be a woman in trades. You definitely will get treated differently because you’re a girl, but honestly it’s just easier to prove people wrong that way!”
Tinodaishe Chigerwe lives in Zimbabwe and is a Form 4 student, roughly the equivalent of being a Junior in American schools. She said that IDG is known in Zimbabwe, and believes that the holiday is crucial to celebrate.
“Women in African countries, and in general, aid in the functioning of the world,” Chigerwe said. “Women create homes, women are pillars for men to lean on even if they’re being mistreated, women maintain peace, women biologically create the future too, so I feel it’s only reasonable to appreciate these women from a young age.”
Chigerwe also said that the holiday is a good opportunity for girls to stop downplaying their role in society, and begin participating in it. Chigerwe has taken this to heart, and has already begun participating in society through her many roles at school.
“Currently, I am writing my IGCSE examinations and the stress of ten subjects as well as maintaining a sporting and social life does get difficult,” Chigerwe said. “I participate in the national volleyball team and play for the first team for my school basketball team; I do two societies, one club and have four sciences. My schedule does sound full on paper, but I assure you- growing up in a household of overachievers, academics and gifted relatives I aspire to do more.”
Chigerwe shared the fact that her situation is unique from many other Zimbabwean youth.
“Although some girls such as I are privileged to have open-minded parents who present unconditional love for them, others experience quite the opposite,” Chigerwe said. “Most girls, from a young age, approximately 11 years old are expected to cook clean and be the ideal housewife and if they’re not- oh the shame that will come to your family name.”
Many countries around the world seem to dismiss the role of women, rather than actively empower them. Senior Enola Zaloshvili wishes that IDG would be more present in her home country of Georgia, where she is currently studying.
“I’ve been saying this my whole life, that women’s struggles are overlooked in the whole world especially in little countries like mine,” Zaloshvili said. “I wish people paid more attention to women’s struggles because there’s a lot of them. Also even with growing gender equality, body positivity, and inclusiveness, young women continue to struggle with self-esteem.”
Connell feels as though the issues surrounding this inequality come from a lack of confidence.
“I think we could be doing a lot better [solving the gender disparity issue] if women were just more confident,” Connell said. “I think women just need to stand up more for themselves and be confident in the way they work and do things.”
Zaloshvili believes that education is the most critical form of empowerment for young girls.
“Empowering girls is the key to economic growth, political stability and social transformation,” Zaloshvili said. “When a girl is educated, there’s so much she can achieve: a good job, higher income, healthier children, and improved wellbeing for her family and community. I wish it was like that in Georgia too, because most people here unfortunately have the mindset where girls should think of marriage and children first of all and education is not really a main thing.”
Chigerwe said that her scholastic achievements and extracurricular life are her source of empowerment.
“Empowering, in my dictionary, entails not being bound to just the option of cooking for your overweight husband,” Chigerwe said. “[Empowered] is how I feel when I venture into the many extracurricular activities I have lined up. Some may feel that indulging in so many activities at a young age may be impossible- and that’s exactly why I do them.”
Connell gave a word of advice for young women underrepresented in their interests.
“If you really want something, go chase that dream,” Connell said. “Don’t listen to anyone who thinks it’s silly or crazy… It’s your life, live it!”
