We are leaders of our own present and future
By Jimena, aged 16, Young Leader from Peru
Since I was little, I have seen how my society marks gender differences that make women seem not as capable of performing as men. These stereotypes are repeated within the school, the media and, often, the adults are those who reinforce these stereotypes with subtle messages. In this context, I felt limited by the fact of being a girl. However, part of my personality is that I have always been rebellious. I do not like to adapt to the moulds of society. I think that everyone is different and does not need to be deformed to fit into those moulds, otherwise you can create your own. That's how I started creating mine.
When I was 9 years old, World Vision Peru came to my community with a program called Friends Club. I really liked the space that the program offered because I could meet with friends from the neighbourhood to share, play and learn. I also liked participating in the handcraft workshops offered by my district municipality. I still remember that I was the only young girl in that group because the majority were adult women who learned to make those crafts and then sell them and start their own business. I did it for fun, and spending time with ladies is a lot of fun.
As a teenager, I began to be interested in being part of volunteering and youth initiatives. I think I had not realised until that moment that I was always looking to get involved in social groups that would allow me to express myself. Actively participating in their projects was something that made me happy, so I joined the National Alliance of Transformation Leaders network (ANALIT in Spanish). This is an organization of girls, boys and adolescents that opened many doors for me to develop my skills and influence issues related to Peru's public agenda.
This was the time and space where I was able to meet many very talented teenagers with a lot of potential who were leading social projects within their regions at their young ages. That motivated me a lot. I wanted to become like them, so I made an effort to overcome those gender limitations imposed by myself and by society. It was not easy but I had the motivation to leave my mark on this world and make it a better one. This helped me to have more confidence in myself and to develop my leadership skills. Consequently, I was able to improve my quality of life and that of my community through the projects I carried out together with children from my network. We managed to restore an abandoned park for children to exercise their right to recreation, and we distributed school supplies to low-income children at the start of classes, among other activities that left me with pleasant experiences.
Lastly, I want to say that women leaders are all of us who dare to overcome any problem to fulfil our dreams. Each of us is an empowered woman with the ability to build opportunities where there are none and to create a more equitable world. Because we are leaders of our own present and future!