Just Ask
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
I used to be so quiet. My friends used to say that I was observant. Even though that was true the real reason as to why I was quiet was because I was scared. I remember the first time I ever put my hand up to ask my teacher a question. I was in grade 6 in Ethiopia. Till then I had never asked a question. I built up the courage and just asked the question. Since that moment I have felt so empowered. Asking questions became something that I loved to do.
I am now in England. I lead a community organization that aims to tackle and prevent Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) here in England. I want to show women that even though one is going through something like FGM one still have a voice. I want them to come out and speak for themselves. They should not hide – everyone is free to work, study, be engaged in the community’s activities etc. I want women to feel empowered!
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Thanks Bethel for sharing your story. We can all have a turning point in life. That moment when we say that enough is enough and take positive steps to betterment. Great work in the fight against FGM and good luck with all your initiatives.
When women are allowed to raise their voice by speaking what they feel it ignites hidden potential in them.
Very inspiring, For a long time i too stammered a lot due to lack of confidence until i enrolled in high school. My good performance in school really empowered me and i started to believe in myself. I cant even recall when i stopped stammering. Education is what empowered me and i believe can empower other girls.
Thank you for sharing! It is true that being able to speak up empowers you. We need to empower more women to speak up against such violence!
Thank you for sharing your story Bethel.I will agree with you that one of the things that prevent women and girls from holding leadership positions is the fact that they are very shy. Women have to be assertive and they should be bold and speak out because to be a good leader, you must have excellent public speaking skills.