IPPF ♥ - YSAFE SC - Thomas

Name: Thomas Goyvaerts, member of the YSAFE Steering Committee.

I enjoy taking challenges, traveling and going out with friends.

I became aware by being active in the social circuit since I was 15. Every opportunity or challenge I faced helped me grow and helped me get more aware about all kinds of social topics that were now to me. For example, right now I'm doing an internship with male sex workers, something I recently learned about and immediately wanted to know some more.

I joined my IPPF Member Association, Sensoa, because to me it was one step up in the whole social staircase; I tend to travel a lot between organizations so to learn and grow even more.

The world would be a better place if everybody would:
   - See a starry midnight sky in the mountains to make you feel small, the view from a high mountaintop to make you feel big and the look of love in that one special person's eyes just so you really know how special you are. If you can do this and be happy with yourself, you can face any storm.
  - Listen Everybody's free to wear sunscreen by Baz Luhrman.
  - Read the stuff you wrote when you were young; love letters, diaries, school reports, cards, letters... So you can see how you've grown, see what possibilities you had but didn't know about and realize that you still have so many possibilities right now that you don't know about.
  - Try many new directions, and if they don't turn out to be like you wanted then at least you made one step in the right direction.

Before I'm 80 I want to have traveled a lot, I want to be able to say that I found true love (even if I lost it by then) & I want to be proud of who I am and stick by it for the rest of my life.

I ♥ Being a Girl people, meet the press: Luīze ♥ Being a Girl

We're going back to our roots, both I ♥ Being a Girl and IPPF wise, and exploring our own experiences. And you deserve to meet the people behind, anyways.
So, here it goes!

 

Name: Luīze Ratniece, @_uize

Things I enjoy doing:
  - Reading feminist literature and blogs,
  - Cooking (vegan), or just eating some awesome nom-noms somebody else has made,
  - Jotting down ideas while sitting in a coffee-shop or library (yes, much love for libraries).

My major breakthrough that switched my interest towards gender issues and opened my eyes literally overnight when I was 13 on 14 were two German books (by a weird coincidence): Ute Ehrhardt's Good Girls Go to Heaven, Bad Girls Go Even Farther and Sabine Werz's Best Friends, Best Enemies (the translations being my Latvian to English translations of titles I knew them by). These were fun popular books for somebody not really introduced to any feminist consciousness yet. Nevertheless, they raised the basic awareness about the existing gender norms, barriers, inequalities and told me that I am allowed to ignore what people expect from me as from a girl if I please so. And that's what I've been trying to do since that.

The world would be a better place if everyone would:
  - Watch the movie Shortbus (2006), challenging the heteronormativity and filling the world with sex positivity.
  - Listen some old jazz. Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Blossom Dearie, Nina Simone, Eartha Kitt can improve everybody and everything. Especially if you take the very dependent and misogynist lyrics with a pinch of salt.
  - Read two novels by Douglas Coupland, Generation X (1991) and Generation A (2009) to understand how weird the world was before internet and how much weirder it's getting.

Before I'm 80, I want to earn a PhD (a senior teaching position would be cool, too), speak decent French and take a bath full of yoghurt.

I ♥ Being a Girl people, meet the press: Magnhild ♥ Being a Girl

We're going back to our roots, both I ♥ Being a Girl and IPPF wise, and exploring our own experiences. And you deserve to meet the people behind, anyways.
So, here it goes!

Name: Magnhild Bogseth (aka Mag, Maga, Aymara, Misa, Mags or M), @maggsis

Things I enjoy doing:
  - Learning languages by talking to people at the street,
  - Debating world problems with smart people who can provoke and produce new ideas and visions,
  - Getting to know the world through traveling, eating new food and reading books

I became aware of the importance of comprehensive and reality based sexual education when I as an exchange student in high school received sexual education as a cartoon show, where the girl ended up with going to hell because she had sex with her boyfriend after drinking a beer.

The world would be a better place if everyone would:
  - Watch the movie Pay it Forward (2000) and actually do it in real life. And watch Milk (2008), and Pippi Longstocking (1969), of course!
  - Listen to Everybody’s Free by Quindon Tarver and follow his advice.
  - Read the biography of Martin Luther King and get inspired.

Before I’m 80 I want to speak at least 6 languages, be relatively good at surfing and have made the wonderful persons I have in my life happy in one way or another.

a BIG thank you to all that made this project great..

The I❤BG project has officially ended, for now at least (but the blog will go on). With this occasion we would like to extend a BIG thank you to all who have been involved and contributed to the project. We couldn't have done it without you!

Here are a few of the many ways you helped our small project be a BIG success:

Since the launch of the I♥BG blog, we've had more than 7100 unique visitors from 109 different countries around the world.

You helped organize 11 I♥BG Tea-parties in 10 countries, where more than 120 young people participated in discussions on gender. 

You helped us create an amazing E-book filled with empowering stories which will help inspire others to overcome the challenges they face.

You helped us spread the word and empower girls and young women all over the world:

“It’s not about gender, it’s about you! You decide! Stigmatization, discrimination, they’re all there, they’ll always be, but it’s up to you to prove the world wrong, and more importantly, to prove yourself right.”

Participant in Romania

“There are numerous things which girls can feel proud of. But, important thing to understand and to realize is your inner strength. Rejoice every moment of life, developing such a spirit that would always make you think optimistic.”

Participant in Nepal

“There are many things that can be told about what it is like to be a girl. We are complicated, persistent and we always get what we want. But the secret is – sometimes finding out what we want is the hardest thing of all. But when a girl says "I love being a girl" - she means it, which is one of the few things she is sure of.”

Participant in Macedonia

You made us proud to present our project at more than 10 international events and meetings and helped us gain the support from many other youth networks and organisations.

So thank you for all your support and be sure to check the blog again soon. We promise we have a lot more in store for you.

Tagel ♥ Being a Girl

Thomas ♥ Girls

Thomas sharing what is that he admires about girls and women

"Women are never alone while guys are always alone"

Madeleine Albright ♥ Being a Woman

Madeleine Albright on being woman and diplomat.

Eszter ♥ Being a Girl

Eszter telling us what is that she ♥ about being a girl.

Amanda ♥ Being a Girl

Amanda tells us what is that she ♥ about being a girl.

Dorota T ♥ Being a Girl

"I love being a girl, because it means being myself.

Generally, I do not perceive people as "men and women", instead trying to see individuals. That is why it saddens me to talk to girls who do not feel comfortable or are bullied just because they are not "girly". They prefer baggy clothes and short hair, and playing football. They feel like girls inside, and accept their sex, but they are not accepted by others.

Want to know what I tell them? I'll share my secret with you.

What is truly admirable, is the courage to stay true to yourself. To maintain your individuality. "Being a girl" is not about "looking girly". People - both women and men! - are different, of every possible kind. You all have the full right to be who you feel you want to be - it is your life, not anyone else's. If people only followed those around them, would we have Maria Skłodowska-Curie, who was a brilliant scientist when it was extremely difficult for women to get university education? Would we have Agatha Christie, who wrote mystery books instead of romances and "slice of life" novels? Many women broke the stereotypes of their eras, staying true to themselves - and that is what we all should admire.

"Being a girl" is to be proud of who you are and not be afraid to admit it, whether you wear dresses and make-up or baggy trousers and shirts. It is to have strength to do the things you love doing, and to be beautiful and special in your own, unique way. Always have this pride, and remember - the only person who can limit you in any way is yourself. If you are brave enough to admit who you are in your mind, it means that you are also brave and strong enough to fight for it. Always strive for self-development and improvement. However, never let the world forcibly change you. Instead, you change the world and prove them all wrong!"

Dorota T

+ as a soundtrack suggestion: True Colors by Cyndi Lauper

I ♥ Being a Girl, the movie

The short with fragments of interviews made at the International AIDS Conference in Vienna this summer.

Dorota W ♥ Being a Girl

"I like being a girl because I can dress nicely and put on some make-up. What's more, I can change my look whenever I want - according to my mood. I like to look nice. What I detest is that some guys (especially those you can meet at the disco) think they can treat girls like an object only because they’re good looking. Just imagine me/you/any girl spanking some nice fellow as he passes... Ups, sorry man that was an accident [puppy eyes]. You want to buy me a drink? No way!

To be honest, I like when a guy takes my jacket or opens the door before me. And I don’t mind being accompanied by some decent man on my way home. Of course it doesn't mean I couldn't make it on my own. But for me it's just about showing respect as well as being polite, simply. And you know what, I absolutely adore receiving flowers! I accept my sensibility, the right to show my emotions without being judged. But sometimes people think girls use emotions to reach theirs goals. In my case it's just not true. I’m full of emotions. I’m proud of it, because I can take each moment of my life as an unique one.

In my country, especially in little villages, women are still expected to have a husband, children, to be a perfect housewife... and nothing more. Some people just don't see that every girl (just like every boy) has ambitions or skills they want to develop. And although things are getting better nowadays, some of my girlfriends are still asked about their family plans during job interviews. That’s why being ‘a city-girl’ is a kind of relief for me!

I was brought up in the community where talking about sexual life and sexuality wasn’t something usual. Still, this is very important part of every girl’s life. In my opinion everyone should decide for oneself about this aspect of life according to some personal system of values.
One of the most beautiful things about being a girl is for me the ability or rather the privilege to give a birth to a child. I’d love to show the world a new human being, to raise him or her up. That’s why I think it’s so important that this moment will come when I’m really ready for it.

Being an independent woman is what I appreciate very much. That gives me the possibility to build my future with someone who will rather be a real partner not a guardian or a protector. Of course I like to be hugged or caressed; sometimes I even wish to feel like a little girl in stronger arms, to hear that I’m nice or pretty, just to be accepted. Some girls are under much pressure, “you have to be strong, independent”! However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be a guy. We’re different and it’s beautiful, it doesn’t make any of the sides better or worse.

In my opinion, the need of being loved and understood doesn’t exclude being independent. There are lots of girls very well known who inspire me. My biggest inspiration is my mom. She’s strong, independent and pretty. She gave me something very special: self- confidence. She rebelled when someone wanted to decided about her life.

I never wanted to be a boy. I didn’t even think about it. Maybe because I had luck to develop in the way I wanted. I’ve never been discriminated because of my sex/gender. All in all, I’m proud to be a woman!"

Dorota W

Alicja ♥ Being a Girl

"Being a girl means being myself to me - to do things which I love and fulfilling myself in the way I want to. What empowers me the most every single day, are people who care about me. They give me huge kick to do what I love to and make my eyes smiling and my face laughing.

I really love being so complicated, because it's never boring, however sometimes irritating ;) And…what is the most important, my smile is the best and the most powerful, because it's a girly one ;) I just have to admit, that as a girl I feel quite unique when guys act like gentlemen and do some things for me. I think it is a feature of Polish boys, because for instance Japanese aren't that generous. I accepted being a girl and I enjoy it with pleasure (: "

Alicja

Natasha ♥ Being a Girl

"My feminine smile, the power of seduction, just being"are the reasons why Natasha LOVES being a girl

Katarína ♥ Being a Girl

The amazing YSAFE intern-coordinator Katarína talks about what is that she LOVES about being a girl (although it's not that easy sometimes), as she says:

"It's NOT OK to expect a girl just to shut up and smile prettily!"

I ♥ Being a Girl, because... II

We had a long-long conversation with girls volunteering at the Latvian Association for Family Planning & Sexual Health and they ♥ being girls, because being a girl to them means being able to:

• trust your intuition
• have a spice-sense
• have unlimited fantasy
• come up with wacky jokes
• enjoy lacy things
  
• be interested in all kinds of feminine stuff
• have that amazing shape of the body
• be beautiful
• use make-up
• enjoy female solidarity
• smile while walking down the street
• wear sparkly crowns (Ms. Universe gets a crown while Mr. Universe does not)
• be a muse
• inspire
• be boyish
• let others carry your heavy stuff
• tease
• be forgiven more
• let to walk you home
• show your vulnerability
• be taken care of

"all those cool words that are feminine
in Latvian by their grammatical gender,
like inspiration, idea, thought, wisdom, state…"

The beautiful word cloud created with Wordle.

On the Role-Play Game Called Life

"Imagine that life is a role-play game where the plot develops as a result of the decisions you have made and the puzzles you have solved.
So how could you win this game? What happens if someone starts interfering and making the decisions for you? Is it still your game, and are you really playing it?
Barriers to the individual are barriers to progress
Prejudice, stigma, discrimination, pressure and many more social forces are barriers that lots of people face in the game called Life. Gender role is a maze that girls in particular are often trapped in. Though gender roles vary significantly around the world, they are often demanding and oppressive. Whether they involve the pressure to become a housewife, to have many children, or to starve just to get into a 0-sized dress, they can deprive women of a major human right: to enjoy being who you truly are.
Women all around the world need equal rights, freedom of choice and universal access to services, especially the ones related to sexual and reproductive health. But in order for all of those components to really work, women also need to overcome the self-stigma and the barriers they set themselves. Finding your true identity and being able to express feelings and opinions is at the very basis of making a difference..."

That's how Maya's article Girls, Love Yourselves and Win the Role-Play Game Called Life on what I ♥ Being a Girl is all about starts. Go to Conversations for a Better World and read the rest of it!

I ♥ Being a Girl, because... I

Girls that were present at our session It's Great to Be a Girl just LOVE being girls, because being a girl to them means being able to:

• feel beautiful
• be more sensitive
  
• be sensible
  
• be strong & sensitive at the same time
  
• be daddy’s girl
  
• be a girl guide
• chose to wear skirts or trousers (and it’s OK)
• cry
• go to the pub with my mates
• wear skirts
• have boobs
• like pink
• reach out more
• enjoy that fight for the equality

The beautiful word cloud created with Wordle.