All girls have rights, we’re told, and that we deserve to dream as high as the stars. But we also frequently hear that girls do not need higher education because they will end up being “mothers”.

This mindset has been holding us back. Although a girl can choose to become a mother, she is usually the primary source of information and education for her children, so it is important that all girls have access to education. Education is also a human right.

During the 4th World Conference on Women in 1995, thousands of women and men from almost 200 countries gathered in Beijing to push for leaders’ commitment to gender equality for women and girls. Nearly 25 years later, we see greater promotion of girls’ rights, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, the right to education, the right to be heard and the right to make their own decisions for their lives and future.

The way people view girls and the way we see ourselves has something to do with the way girls and women are portrayed in popular media.

We often see girls who lack self-confidence just because they don’t look like the characters portrayed in soap operas, commercials and infotainment. There is actually no need to follow these stereotypes. We don’t need to buy whitening cream or have our hair straightened to be “beautiful”.

Furthermore, we are often considered less capable than boys. As a small example, a girl purchasing a rather expensive book is treated with surprise by the bookstore attendant, who finds it hard to believe that a girl can read it.

Sadly, discrimination can occasionally come from other girls. One girlfriend was bullied by other girls for trying to look cool by playing futsal and basketball, whereas she truly loves sports.

We have also witnessed teen pregnancy, but only the girl is expelled or forced to drop out of school, but not the boy who caused the pregnancy. This is extremely discriminatory.

We don’t need to buy whitening cream or have our hair straightened to be 'beautiful'.

We are so lucky to be in an environment that encourages us to learn and share. One of us, Wafi, has set up the @dreamoperation.do community that caters to children’s needs for extra tutoring and is free for orphans.

We don’t wonder if we are pretty or not; we always ask ourselves how we can use our knowledge to help others. Joining the #GirlsTakeOver event will hopefully help us develop communication and leadership skills that could benefit many people, such as in giving voice to the injustices that girls experience.

One of the international organizations that have raised the importance of fulfilling girls’ rights to mark IDG is Plan International. The organization has gathered our concerns about the way the media represent women and girls on screen. Discouraging perceptions can be found everywhere, from social media to movies, and to commercials and songs.

Most of us are exposed to at least one of these mediums on a daily basis. The media can make or break something; it influences us on a much deeper level than we realize. This is exactly the message that we would like to highlight.

It is unfair for females to be considered objects, to be portrayed in a sexual way or as a lesser group simply because of our sex. Sadly, many people are unaware of the effects of female representation in the media. Many tend to escape to the shadows to hide behind so-called norms and culture. We need to raise more awareness about this, and it may cause discomfort. However, we can’t stand helplessly on the sidelines.

We cannot bear being silent witnesses to the sexism that surrounds us every day and drowns out our voice in a subtle way. We must become more aware that it is not all right to portray women as sexual objects, a prop or some “damsel in distress”. Girls also need to understand that we are our own persons and that we deserve to be treated as such. We are strong individuals, capable of speaking for ourselves, being ourselves and taking the lead.

As girls, we want to change the situation by raising our voices so our leaders, the authorities, our parents, teachers, friends, sisters, brothers — everyone — will hear. We want to challenge the norms and stereotypes that are holding girls back. As millennials, we are also calling out to our peers to use social media to speak out about our rights and portray girls as the equals of boys.

So are you with us to help give voice to girls’ rights? If yes, let’s start rewriting our narrative on social media to ensure that #GirlsGetEqual and we receive fair media representation and treatment.

___________________

Wafi Tsabitah, 17, is a 12-grade student who became “Swedish ambassador to Indonesia”, in the #GirlsTakeOver role-play event, organized by children’s empowerment organization Plan International Indonesia Foundation (YPII); Patrice Yang, 16, is a feminist and YPII volunteer.

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