In response to the prompt “Survivors of conflict are forever shaped by their experiences”, I have written a hybrid speech in the persuasive-imaginative form, allowing me to express my ideas in a first-person view. The language used in the speech is informal, allowing the audience to relate to the speaker on a personal level. Persuasive devices such as anecdotes and inclusive words such as ‘we’ and ‘us’ have been incorporated so a connection with the audience can be made. The speech will be given at a rally supporting the UN Women’s HeForShe campaign, with the transcript available on the HeForShe website. The audience is young adults aged 17-30 years old who wish to make a difference on a global level. The speech explores the notion that after experiencing conflict, we will not be the same person we were before; potentially influencing us to make changes in our lives that may make a difference on a larger scale, or perhaps tainting the way we perceive the world. Ideas have been drawn from the inequalities women can face around the world, from Megan Stacks stance in ‘Every Man in This Village Is a Liar’ of Saudi Arabian women (Chapter 10), and the post-traumatic stress disorder which is mentioned in the prologue. Ideas have also come from the Ukrainian Euromaidan movement in late 2013-14. The purpose of the speech is to influence those young adults into stepping out of their comfort zone and banding together to be the change they want to see in the world.
Hello fellow Melbournians, my name is Patrick, and thanks for coming along to the HeForShe campaign here in Federation Square today. Two years ago, I worked for Channel Nine as a foreign correspondent in Kiev, Ukraine. The person I was then, and the person I am now, are two completely different people. On November 21st, 2013 – a peaceful protest began in independence square, urging the Ukranian government to sign a free trade agreement with the European Union as a step towards becoming a European country. The events that unfolded over the next 90 or so days have changed who I am and the way I perceive the world – “I survived, but I also did not survive”.
So why is it I’m talking about Ukraine at a rally for gender equality? Three days after the Ukranian youth had gathered, the government retaliated with disproportionate brutal force. While this as a whole shocked me, it was the way they discriminated between men & women that really opened my eyes. They didn’t. Women and children were given the same inhumane treatment as men. ‘Could this be a symbol of gender equality?’ I had asked myself. A journalist I had been working alongside, who you may actually remember – Tetyana Chornovol, had accused President Yanukovych of corruption. A few days later, she was run off the road by a black SUV, dragged out of her car and beaten by men presumed to be government agents. You may remember the photos emerging in the media of her swollen and bloodied face – I certainly do. That was my turning point. My mother once told me, “a real man doesn’t hit a woman.” She also once told me, that if I see something I know is wrong – I need to do something about it. I have always valued that ideal of never harming women or children. I have always valued women; I grew up with two sisters. I know that they are strong, like Tetyana was. And I think we all know that strong women, all around the world, deserve to be treated with respect and as equals to men– and in some instances – receive more respect than men, because I’ll be damned if I can think of reasons as to why men deserve more respect than women.
Along my journeys, I have met many wonderful, determined and career-driven women. Of these, is another foreign correspondent – Megan Stack. Stack had worked in the Middle East during the “War on Terror”, collecting stories from many different countries. One story I would like to make mention of, is one she wrote about in Chapter 10 of her text ‘Every Man In This Village Is A Liar’ which focused on Saudi Arabia – ‘a land of invisible women’. In the misogynistic society, women are not permitted to travel without the company of a male relative which has resulted in their being banned from driving. Women cannot vote. However, many Saudi women do not see what is wrong with this; having insisted to Stack “What good is voting?” when asked how they feel about the inequality. Stack had been exposed to the Saudi women’s values, and that tainted the way she perceived men and women everywhere. What she knew as equality has been challenged for the rest of her life. Furthermore in Saudi Arabia, women are subject to segregation in public places, with facilities provided often being of poorer quality than the facilities men receive. And what continues to shock me every day; women can be lashed and sent to jail for committing adultery… even if they are the victim of rape. In what socially just world would a victim be sent to jail for being raped? Some Saudi citizens – male and female – hope that a social and political reform materialises. Not for themselves, but for their children and for future generations.
In a civilised world, no woman would ever be sent to jail for falling victim of abuse. In a civilised world, no woman would need to report being beaten on the side of the road by government agents or worry about what would happen if they are walking alone. Because in a civilised world, nothing would happen. Women would feel safe everywhere they go, as they should today.
Here in Australia, and other economically stable, developed countries; women are still subject to inequality. In the workforce, the pay gap between men and women is still significant – according to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, on average, men earn 17.3% higher wages than women out of those working full time; a difference of $277.70 per week. But the injustices women face in Australia is almost insignificant compared to women in developing countries. In South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, 40% of women are married before their 18th birthday. That is almost half of the women being married before an Australian is deemed legally an adult. In Pakistan, if women refuse arranged marriages, they are subject to “honour killings”. And in Afghanistan, many groups oppose females gaining education; attacking schools and targeting anyone who stands up for their rights. Malala Yousafzai, a girl who we have all heard of; stood up for her rights and almost paid the ultimate price. After defying the Taliban by demanding girls be allowed to receive an education in Pakistan, Malala was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman. But this did not stop Malala; instead reinforcing her will and determination for equality. Having survived, Malala continues to speak out on the importance of education on a global stage.
But to this day, unfortunately Malala is still a target of the Taliban. And until this is no longer true, we need to keep fighting.
I stand before you today, in attempt to make a difference. I don’t know if I’ll influence you to do what I’m doing - I may not even make a difference to your day-to-day life. But something I do know, is that you’ve listened so far.
Ukraine changed me. What I saw, and what I know happened but didn’t see, has made an impact on my life I will never be able to erase. But while these images are alive in my memory and will forever remain a patch in Ukraine’s history – I can fight it. I am fighting it. By standing here in front of you, talking about my story - I’m healing my scars, and, more importantly, combatting the inequalities women face around the world.
I know I want my children - our children - to live in a just world where their mothers receives the same pay as their male co-worker for doing the same work. I know I don’t want our children to live in a world where women like Tetyana and Malala stand up for what they believe in and nearly lose their lives for it. I know that I want – we want - all girls, all over the world, to have the freedom they deserve.
I am part of a movement. I want my voice to make a difference. Yours can make a difference, too. That is only if we all come together as one. The HeForShe program is expanding at a rapid rate, and numerous changes have already been made. In Malawi, 1 in 2 girls were married before their 18th birthday. Now, the government has committed to end child marriage, which has led to a regional chief annulling 330 child marriages and sending the children back to school – killing two birds with one stone and working towards a stronger future for the country.
So I leave you today, with one message. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “be the change you want to see in the world.”
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