FIUTS Students Speak | International Women's Day 2024
FIUTS is fortunate enough to learn from the words of former and current students who practice what the UN advocates for this year’s International Women’s Day: Inspiring Inclusion. We are proud to share them with you, too, on this day.
• • Special thanks to the voices below for stating their beliefs. It is a privilege to work in person and over the years with each of you • •
It is important for people with privilege to put humanity first and to stand up for justice for women in areas of conflict as such Palestine, Congo, Sudan and Myanmar as we are well aware of how disproportionately they are affected.
— Aimi Ahmad Shukri, FIUTS Student Board 2003-2007
I believe in order to archive gender equality, affirmative action must include both genders. I also believe that gender equality can be achieved by women and men working together to lift each other up since gender equality is a responsibility to everyone.
— Angela Elizabeth Ledon Maduro, FIUTS SUSI Participant 2022
Wholehearted inclusion of every human being sounds utopic to me, but it is the future each of us is trying to build for ourselves and our people, everyday. In that collective individualism, maybe we'll get there soon. I'm reminded of the Indian anthem-like poem by nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore (Incidentally, he did write the national anthems of India and Bangladesh):
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
This poem is part of a beautiful series of poems called Gitanjali, that are also hopeful and abstract prayers.
The lines "Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls," and, "Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection," seem closest to what I'm thinking here about this topic.
— Ardhra Sivasankaran, FIUTS Student Facilitator 2022-2024
Indonesia's long-standing struggle on eliminating sexual violence has been steadily addressed through national-level policy and regulation. Consecutively in 2021 and 2022, grassroot movements consisting of community organizers and activists, labourers, students, professors, and civil society organizations successfully advocated for the issuance of Minister of Education Regulation on Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence in Higher Education and Law on Sexual Violence Crimes. We appreciate the implementation of the aforementioned regulations, however cultural change is mandatory if we are to achieve gender equality and elimination of sexual violence—and this change needs to be achieved by both government and society.
— Muh. Wildan Teddy Bintang P. Has, FIUTS SUSI YES Program Participant 2019
The older I become, the more I've realized just how valuable the support I've received from other women has been. When I moved to the US for my graduate program as an international student from Mexico, I felt a bit alone and out of place. Thankfully, I was able to slowly form better support systems. I owe most of these connections to different women: professors, classmates, and new friends. They have all inspired me to become a more welcoming person, regardless of people's backgrounds (like FIUTS!). Their encouragement and guidance have not only helped me navigate the challenges of adapting to a new culture, but have also empowered me to advocate for inclusivity and to support other people in their journeys.
— Norma GA, Student Board 2022-2023
It is truly amazing to think about how all of us are connected by women. In my eyes, women have the most resilient and inclusive character. Let's cheer for all the women!
— Pei Zheng, FIUTS Student Board 2022-2023
“From the earliest years of FIUTS in the 1930’s and 40’s, women have challenged both cultural and gender norms to build belonging, inspire dialogue, and promote peace. International Women's Day serves as a reminder of the progress we have made and the work that still lies ahead in achieving gender equality. Today, I celebrate the FIUTS alumni around the world who continue to work towards a future where every woman has the opportunity to reach her full potential.”
— Era Schrepfer, FIUTS Executive Director
You are always welcome at FIUTS events: join us for our monthly Potluck on March 13, 2024. Register here.