Who Runs the World?

October 11 is International Day of the Girl. I first learned about it in my political science class and on Friday I will celebrate this holiday by watching Girl Rising, a movie about the movement to educate the young women around the world. The days of education and opportunity being seen as a boy’s only territory are no more. Humanitarians are advocating and taking a stand for girls to have that chance too! Ladies, how about a round of applause?

Wicked!

In my political science class (this class has changed my life, sign up-you will love it!), we learned the story of Maria Bashir, the young woman from Afghanistan who risked her life to go to school by smuggling her books in grocery bags to hide her education from the Taliban. We got to listen to her speak about how her family felt about how important it is to educate women, vowing that they would sell their blood to pay for her education. The Taliban would get suspicious and the sneaky school children would have to refrain from going to school for a week or two, but they would resume classes once the suspicion stopped. This story sent chills up my spine! They had roadside killings when all these girls wanted to do was learn.

With the story of Maria Bashir and then the story of Malala, the Pakistani girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban for wanting the opportunity to go to school. These two particular stories happen to take place in the middle East, but Girl Rising discusses the need to educate girls from all corners of the world. The trailer itself made every girl in my class do this: 

Someone pass the Kleenex. Seriously pass them.

In all seriousness, it made me really thankful to be here and to be part of such a great education system, but more importantly- be a part of something bigger than gender! The sexist jokes need to stop. I work on it every single day, and it's like kicking a bad habit. I celebrate every day that I've done without because I know I'm doing something better with myself. I catch myself making jokes about misandry as a means to retaliate against misogyny, but at the end of the day, it just leaves me feeling like an unfriendly pug. A sad, lonely pug with no friends and no play pool! Transcend those barriers and be a part of something bigger, embrace the fact that we are all connected whether we identify ourselves as male, female, trans, or anything under the sun. We have the power to choose.

If anyone tries to stop you, just remember:

Pinkie Pie and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza are always on your side <3