Panorama archive · Media
How Creativity made a soldier for equal rights.
Originally published
Submitted By: Maymunah Stroud
Location: Georgia, USA
Ever Since I was a little Girl, I knew I was a feminist. I didn’t know the Exact Definition of Feminism, but I knew that I was proud to be a women, and I would feel a sense of excitement and pride when I saw a powerful female lead on a cartoon, or learned about a powerful women like Harriet Tubman, and I couldn’t help but feel happy when I played football with the boys, because I would only see men play football on T.V. When I started high school, I learned what Feminism was, and I learned about the amazing women that lead the movement like Gloria Steinem, Joan Bias and Kathleen Hanna. When I became a senior in high school, I realized that it was imperative that I viewed feminism as something I needed to be a part of. I became more aware that there are many women that had fewer opportunities as oppose their male peers. I also realized that there was a need in my community to redefine gender roles.
I asked myself the question “how can I help?” I wanted to figure out my own special way to empower women and help them feel confident about themselves. When I was a senior in high school, I had the opportunity to make the documentary “dreams Un-differed” for the Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards. The Short film was about young women overcoming difficulty to peruse their dreams. While I was making the film, I realized that I was helping to bring awareness to the amazing girls that have dreams, and that I was helping to inspire many young women. I loved to art of filmmaking, and doing what I love in the name of feminism was incredibly rewarding. I figured it out; I found my contribution. I would use my skills of photography, writing and Filmmaking to create a fair and balanced world for both women and men.
My creativity became my weapon to fight the fight on equal rights. I am determined to create content that will make women feel empowered confident and inspired. Media making isn’t just fun for me; it gave me a way to spread the message of gender equality for years to come.