Each year International Women’s Day seeks out and celebrates women’s achievements. We asked some of our wonderful CREATE Young Consultants to reflect on this year’s theme #ChooseToChallenge and what it means for them.
Here’s what our Young Consultants had to say:
Tasha
As a woman with an out-of-home care background, the 2021 International Women’s day theme “Challenge to Change” is all about self-development, overcoming adversity and eradicating stigmas.
We are all quite aware of how testing it can be, as a child with an out of home care experience. We face challenges that some people may never face in their lives, such as loss, neglect and abandonment. However, it is not our circumstances that define us, rather our ability to challenge change and live a life that is a true reflection of who we really are.
I stand with all children and young people with a care experience this International Women’s day when I say – let’s challenge our past traumas and pre-existing stereotypes and create positive change in our lives, always.
Emily
#ChooseToChallenge means being able to argue with yourself. Being able to pull yourself up and become the person YOU want to be every day.
Taya
I am inspired by all the strong women in the world taking a stand for all of our rights. I wish for greater equality for all women around the world. That we can beat the oppression of women everywhere and give women the rights to decide what she wants to do with her own body.[It’s important to] encourage women to speak up and band together to battle gender inequality by promoting women’s rights and the injustices that are widely hidden so we don’t rise up, i.e the gender pay gap and males having better chances at getting leadership roles.
Cheyenne
It means having the ability to make my own future and challenge the statistics, bias, and stigma surrounding being a woman and former foster child. It is also seeing influential women stand up and speak for a better future for all women!
Adina
To me, #ChooseToChallenge means celebrating the women before me who have chosen to challenge gender inequality and bias and have created a different life for the women who followed them. It is my responsibility to make them proud and continue to challenge the stigma, bias and inequity that impacts women worldwide.
#ChooseToChallenge
From challenge comes change, so let’s all choose to challenge.
