Educating girls: Malala Yousafzai, I Am A Girl and Girl Rising.

I'm in awe at how passionate activist, 2013 Nobel Prize nominee and survivor, Malala Yousafzai is about educating herself and ensuring all children are educated. She believes education is the key to peace - the key to changing the world. Shot in the face by the Taliban in 2012, she said "I don't want revenge on the Taliban, I want education for sons and daughters of the Taliban.”

She believes education is a human right.

"Let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world. Education is the only solution," Malala said.

Read more and listen to her only Austràlian interview.

Watch her full interview with Jon Stewart below.

 

I watched two films about girls rights this past month - I Am a Girl and Girl Rising. Both films told the true stories of girls (mostly living in developing countries) around the world. The films covered issues of child slavery, child marriage, slavery, sexual violence, young motherhood, education, embedded poverty cycles and cultural oppression.

Despite the difficult topics, both films showed courage and hope - and the important role of education to change these girls' situations. Education can not only change their individual situations, but their families' and the wider world. Just like Malala. These girls are so passionate about learning. They know their future depends on an education.

"We cannot reach the sun with wings crafted from feathers and wax and desperation." - Girl Rising.

Education gives people the strength and knowledge to reach the sun.

This post is for Blog Action Day - bringing together bloggers from different countries, interests and languages to blog about one important global topic on the same day - today, 16 October. This year's theme is human rights.

 

One conversation creates change. Another post on Embarrassing Bodies.

Embarrassing Bodies was on the TV last night. I didn't watch it, a friend texted me to tell me it was on. I replied that I think the title is offensive, the content's exploitative and the viewers' reactions are callous, but thanks for thinking of me.

I wrote about how I feel about the show here. While many people disagreed with my opinion (the conversation below the post added such richness), I still maintain that Embarassing Bodies is for gross-out viewing, and perpetuates misperceptions, voyeurism and disgust about an illness or disability because of the sensationalism of title, content and promotion.

There was a comment on that post suggesting I am annoyed about the show because I'm directly affected by an issue it covers:

"You cannot make judgements on an entire viewing audience based on the fact that some people watch it and make fun of the people on it. Of course those are the people who will be most vocal. Sometimes we have to take a step back and realise our own issues can sometimes cloud how we think of things and are we getting our back up about a show or is it more to do with our own lives and problems??"

While I take that feedback on board, and responded to it too, I think that it is often those who are affected by the issues are the ones that can make a difference in creating change. We can't sit back and do nothing when the media misrepresents us. And we shouldn't be seen as angry or bitter when doing so. I'm not going to be meek and mild. Of course I'm going to be annoyed when the show is covering a condition I've lived with my whole life and I've worked my whole life to change perceptions about. Wouldn't you? Ichthyosis is part of my identity.

When the show aired, I ranted a bit and tried to educate people about Ichthyosis by tweeting my blog link and responding to some of the awful things said about Ichthyosis during the show.

Note the way Gem, the TV station, promoted the show. Again, tell me why I don't have reason to be annoyed at the sensationalism of illness.

And then this happened. She's a medical student, according to her Twtter feed...

And this too. :)

I know I shouldn't be, but I was so worked up over seeing awful, hurtful responses to Ichthyosis. So when I got an apology and some changes of mind, I saw it as an educative win. It made me smile. And there was so much love on Twitter that night. So many of my friends are also speaking out against the show, and see why I have these thoughts. Thanks everyone!

I'm not going to sit back and do nothing when people have developed a certain mindset about a condition that they've not seen humanised outside of an exploitative TV show. I'm using my voice and personal experience to create change. Because I don't want the next generation of beautiful children with Ichthyosis (or other visible differences, illnesses and disabilities) to read that a gawker or ignorant person was too disgusted to look at them after watching a segment on TV. How can we hold how head high and be proud with the sorts of attitudes I've exemplified here?

Sometimes it takes a small conversation to create change. It takes a real person to tell their personal story.

Edit: @Jados_Y has since sent me and the Ichthyosis community a very sincere apology.