When we were assigned a social justice presentation in Roxane’s class, I immediately knew that I wanted to do women’s rights. This is an issue that I feel strongly about and it’s also a topic that was a big deal within my family growing up. My grandmother told me stories of how progressive my great grandfather was (her father) in that he insisted that all three of his girls, had to have an education so that they could support themselves without relying on anyone else. This resonated with me throughout my younger days and I witnessed this firsthand as my own mother had to support us because my father left when I was five years old. It’s not hard to understand why I feel so strongly about this topic as I lived through it.
As emotional that I am with this issue within my own family, observing it on the world scale makes me infuriated. I see pictures and documentaries about how oppressed women in certain countries are due to religion, culture, and race and it makes me sick to my stomach for these poor women and girls. I believe that all girls can do anything that they put their minds to within reason and our biological makeup. We are nurturers by nature but that does not make us less able to do things that men and boys can. We can be doctors, engineers, scientists, and corporate managers but we must realize that there are gender stereotypes throughout the world that still exist, even in Canada, and the reality is that they will need to work harder and longer than their male counterparts. I think this makes me a great candidate as a teacher because of my belief in girls to become the best that they can and want to be. I will strive to always push and support any girl that wants to do things that are not traditional “female” roles. This goes for all students because boys also deserve to have the support and confidence to push their boundaries to achieve greatness in their own eyes whatever that may be for them.