A letter of reflection for International Women’s Day(IWD) 2019
(I first read this letter to students, at a high school in Kenya, on 11th March, 2019, in commemoration of IWD 2019)
Dear young girls and women,
I write this letter as a reflection of what women in history have done and continue to do. Things that can inspire us to know and believe that the struggle to make girls and women’s lives and the entire humanity better, continues. No one of us is free until we are all free. My reflection is inspired by a story book compiled by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo ,titled “Goodnight stories for rebel girls; 100 tales of extraordinary women”.
We have enjoyed the brilliance of computer programs for many years. We owe this experience to a woman called Ada Lovelace . Ada wrote the first computer program in history.
It has been incredibly hot, and you can all bear witness to the extremely high temperatures. One woman from Nyeri in Kenya, Wangari Maathai, understood that trees are important to ensure the environment operates optimally. She had noticed the rivers and streams drying up in her home area and therefore inspired other women to start planting trees. She was harassed by the brutal regime of President Daniel Arap Moi, because she fought to protect nature. Wangari’s resilience to protect the environment was admirable. She was the first black African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize for her work.
The women I have mentioned so far, have all passed on. But we have living examples of fortitude. A young girl, Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan was shot by Taliban gunmen because she dared to defend girls’ right to education. Malala teaches us, that even at a young age, we can make a difference in our communities. She is the youngest person to ever receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
Music can be used to inspire change. Miriam Makeba, also known as Mama Africa, used her music to inspire South Africans during the brutal apartheid regime. The regime wanted to silence her voice of protest and they exiled her for 31 years. She continued to sing, because she was talented and believed in freedom. Miriam recorded more than 100 songs with her all-girl band, the Skylarks. We remember her for her voice and contribution of women in continuing to struggle for freedom.
I end this letter, reminding us, to balance for better, is to allow girls and women to be the best they can be.
Happy International Women’s Day!!
PS: While writing this article, I realized there aren’t many pictures that are available under the creative commons license. Like those of the Skylarks band. Feel free to upload the images on Wikimedia Commons for wide accessibility.
