Welcome to the first post of Feminists Who Totally Rock!
Today I am pleased to present two interviews, one with Rebeca Monzo and one with Terrie Chan. Read on and enjoy!
Rebeca Monzo is one of the head co-ordinators of the Beautiful One Conference as well as an ordained minister!
What was it that inspired you to become a feminist?
To be honest I have never really thought of myself as a feminist. That being said I have always had a strong desire to work with teen girls. That desire was inspired by the obvious need to shine a light on the unrealistic standards and expectations that are placed on girls by pop culture. I want to encourage, empower and equip teenage girls to live their life to its potential.
What kind of work do you do?
I work with youth both in the church setting as well as in the community where I mentor teen girls and help coach a Sr. Girl’s volleyball team. I also work with girls through the Beautiful One Conference which is a faith based yearly event designed to empower, equip and encourage teen girls.
What feminist issue is particularly important to you?
I believe that every girl should be afforded the opportunity to pursue education allowing them to achieve their goals and live out their dreams no matter where they live.
What is your dream for Women?
My dream for women is that they would be confident in who they are and live out that confidence in every area of their life.
Which unknown or young feminist would you like the world to know about?
This is a tough one. I know a lot of strong women who are actively making a difference in the lives of girls and women.
Terrie Chan is a student at UBC Vancouver. This summer she worked for a non-governmental organization in Hong Kong called The Women’s Foundation.
1) What was it that inspired you to become a feminist?
I was inspired to become a feminist for many reasons. The most prominent reason being that women are not, no matter how many people say that we have, won our equal standing in society- or at least in Canada. There are [still] many [areas] in life that women can[not] participate fully [in], or be treated as an equal. There are also many things to be done in order to protect the safety of girls and women, or simply to be viewed just as valuable as a male counterpart.
2) What kind of work do you do?
I try to fit in feminism in my life and to reflect this to my friends and family. Whenever I get the chance, I talk about the situation of women and girls around the world, which I think is an issue needing attention. In terms of work with credentials, I spent one month in Hong Kong this summer with an NGO named The Women’s Foundation for an internship. That was my first experience with a NGO with a focus on women and girls.
3) Which feminist issue is particularly important to you?
I am most interested in sex trafficking, domestic violence, and women within law.
4) What is your Dream for Women:
My dream for women is for all women to understand their self-worth and that it is not okay when a man treats you as his possession or simply in a bad way, and for all women to understand they deserve respect. It is my hope that all women will have that self-confidence, and that they will stop blaming themselves when a man does them harm. I also hope that women can finally see that they can be just as successful as any man or woman on the planet. Finally, I think we need to accept a norm wherein women do not feel pressured to be sexy or possess a certain ‘male trait’ to be successful. Hopefully this will allow men who have this attitude to discover something other than their present normative thinking-that women are somehow of lesser value compared to men.
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