Today is #InternationalGirlsDay - its aim is to promote youth rights and gender justice for girls around the world (because even in the era of driverless cars, AI and sending satellites in to the deepest darkest realms of space, we still haven't grasped the concept that men and women are equal). I thought, as Women Who Do are a women's networking hub, I would write a little poem about what it meant to me, being a girl, during education and my work-life. Enjoy! P.S. please be aware that I literally threw this together this morning, so I don't think it even rhymes. But WHO CARES?!
Being a girl as a child,
my temper had to be mild,
but it wasn't; it was strong,
which meant it was wrong.
I wasn't assertive; like him,
I was bossy; caused a din.
Being a girl in school,
meant never acting the fool.
It meant lip gloss and mates,
chatting about our very first dates.
I wanted it to mean science or maths,
but wasn't something I could easily grasp,
was directed towards art,
or drama, from the start.
Being a girl in my teens,
meant of course I had dreams,
but they had to be small,
who'd look after the kids after all?
As I turned twenty,
I was lucky, I had plenty
of decisions to make,
my future at stake.
I was fun and free and wild,
embraced my inner "bossy" child.
I worked hard when it got rough,
thought it would be be enough,
but it wasn't.
Being a girl now in life,
means "be someone's wife!".
You may say "not true!",
but this I ask you;
"my belly is empty, my arms are free,
so why does he get paid more than me?"
I thought we'd stand shoulder-to-shoulder,
but now that I am much wiser and older,
I can see that there's still a long way to go,
before there's no blame in a girl saying "no".
Not "strong-willed".
Not "arrogant".
Not "bossy".
Not "demanding".
I am a girl.
