Belief in oneself key to empowering women

At our school, Palmerston North Girls’ High School, we were given a week to carry out a project that would help benefit the community and increase our social responsibility.

So, my friends Madeline Bevan, 15, and Linnea Guieysse, 14, and I thought what better way to do that than to raise awareness about a relevantworld issue.

The aim of this project was to help empower young females. We wanted to spread knowledge about the importance of leadership for females – and how females can do anything if we put our minds to it.

To achieve this, we interviewed the top managers of insurance company AIA, Nick Stanhope and Angela Busby; Lesley Ketu, the captain of the Black Ferns; and city councillor Rachel Bowen – all influential leaders.

We also contacted Prime Minister

Jacinda Ardern. She responded through a letter answering our questions.

After the interviews, we created flyers, posters, videos and this article to spread these influential messages and inspire, connect, learn and share our thinking about leadership among young females.

Through these interviews and discussionswith these influential people we have realised the importance of identity and how it’s vital to understand who you are, where you come from and where you want to go, to get more clarity and confidence.

When interviewing Ketu, she explained: ‘‘Your sense of identity is really important ... If young girls can find their identity and be confident in their own skin ... you [will be] able to empower others to lead.’’

Having self-acceptance means understanding, recognising and accepting one’s abilities and who we are as people, which is essential for young girls across New Zealand.

Angela Busby, chief strategy adviser of AIA, told us: ‘‘Don’t be afraid to take on challenges ... because challenges are when you learn the most.’’

She emphasised the significance of striving for your goals, nomatter what odds may be against you. Taking risks when needed and embracing each opportunity are what help you succeed in life and stand out. By having little or no confidence, young women tend to change themselves instead of keeping to their own values and beliefs.

‘‘All of us have doubts, all the time,’’ commented Bowen, arts, culture and heritage portfolio leader for the council.

She explained how crucial it is to embrace ourselves forwho we are and learn self-acceptance. Acknowledging the self-doubt and uncovering why you’re feeling this way is vital instead of pushing the feeling aside. Reflecting helps to understand how you did and how it benefited others around you.

Nick Stanhope, chief executive of AIA, stated: ‘‘Back yourself [and] face your fears,’’ because that’s the onlyway you can try new things and get out of your comfort zone.

By encouraging women to adapt to amore ‘‘fearless attitude in life’’, more opportunities in life will arise, even if it may mean taking risks and giving things a go. Because when we makemistakes, we learn from them, and that’s how we grow as people.

As you learn, you develop confidence because you’ve done this before, which allows you to do it again and again.

Ardern answered the question: Do you have any advice for females who lack confidence in themselves?

‘‘I knew politics [was] a good way to help people make a positive difference in the world, and that’s what inspired me to get involved,’’ she said. ‘‘Women are faced with extra challenges in life ... because of other people’s perceptions ... not because of our abilities.’’

Ardern has used her passion for politics to show the worldwomen can juggle the pressure ofwork as well as family life. Despite others doubting Ardern’s abilities, based on her gender, she pushed through and became prime minister as well as being amother.

The prime minister, along with many other New Zealanders, has inspired young girls across the country to have confidence and believe in themselves.

Everyone doubts themselves from time to time and that’s normal. But what’s important is you don’t stop yourself from fulfilling your potential, because the only person who stops you from achieving your dream is yourself. So just believe.

Jiya Bothra, 14, has just finished year 10 at Palmerston North Girls’ High School.