At an all girls school, International Women’s day is taken very seriously, reflecting on the importance of feminism and for me what it means to be a girl in today’s world.

When I was born, being a girl meant that my clothes had to be pink whilst my brothers were blue. If I had been born 4831 miles away in China, being a girl would mean that because of the one child policy I potentially could have been abandoned, sent to an orphanage or even killed- just so my parents could try to have a son, as they were seen as the superior sex. Things have changed since then for girls, but by how much?

It meant that when my parents said “I love you” it was also followed by “beautiful”. It unquestionably made me feel great, but now more than ever, due to social media, young girls are being judged on their appearance everywhere- cat called when walking down the street, causing low self-esteem and as teenagers, many girl’s bodies are being sexualised by men. Being a girl meant that when I was 5, in P.E a boy said that I “throw like a girl”- what I didn’t understand was why that had to be a bad thing. Being a girl meant that when I was 7 my mum had to peel off the tracksuit and trainers I lived in to make me wear a dress- I immediately went and climbed a tree tearing a hole in it. It meant that when I was 10 everyone was surprised at how much I enjoyed learning tag rugby and football, meanwhile sucking at netball!

Being a girl meant that when I was 11, I was proud to learn about how women before me had fought as suffragettes to get the future generations of girls, like me, the right to vote. I remember dreaming of being prime minister and following in Margaret Thatchers’ (the first female prime minister) footsteps- I didn’t want those women to have fought in vain and so, for their sake, I take any and every opportunity handed to me. It meant that when I went to the theatre to see the film Suffragette with my friend, and we ran out when they were force fed I felt ashamed- as that is what those women had to go through to be treated equally.

Being a girl meant that when learning about menstruation in PSHE I was envious of how boys didn’t have to go through any of it or the judgements that come with it. Being a girl meant that I was able to come to an all girls school when I was 12, where there is a feeling of sisterhood- it was the age though, where I realised that girls could be mean. At that age I wanted to be a hockey player, and was glad I was a girl yet still into sport. It was in that 2016 Olympics that I saw women compete in rugby for the first time. I remember feeling inspired how they still did their nails and hair as they wanted to play rugby and still be feminine. Being a girl meant that, at the age of 13, I heard stories about girls being raped, or abused by strangers, or worse partners, that supposedly love them- that I understood how lucky I am, as in Geography we learnt about countries where girls don’t get equal education rights to boys, don’t get an education at all. It means that I wanted to be a medic in the army so I could help people, but also as I would be proud to fight for what I believe in, as I know women have done for generations- to fight for equality, and it was only in 2018 where women were allowed to do all military jobs, equal to men; still in today’s world there are more business Chief Executives named James than women. As well as this there is a gender pay difference, and that is just in this country. Now I’m 14, my eyes have been opened not only to the hardships of being defined by gender but of life in general… as I see my friends forced to mature quickly due to tough circumstances, yet come out as the strongest girls, no people, I know.

What does it mean to be a girl in today’s world? When I was younger I thought I knew the answer to that question, that being a girl meant that you surprised people when you hated skirts and liked sports. That you had to prove yourself. But now, for me, in 2020 , being a girl means being whoever you want to be; there is no definition. And I should be able to get there, as long as I keep fighting for what I believe in, and that is what a girl is: half the population, necessary for the future of the human race, and an independent, determined, unique person who is crucial to the development of the society we live in, and can go anywhere, do anything her mind can dream up, as to me, we are the future, with no limits. Yet we need to remember how fortunate we are- we’ve all had those days where we wish we were anywhere else, where we feel like the world is against us... yet girls around the world don’t have the opportunities we do- and that is what this day is about. And what it means to be a girl in 2020.

By Bethan Massey, Rosebery School