Translator: Mel Simmons Reviewer: Darina Stoyanova
Hashtag goals.
What was the first thing that came to
mind when you heard me say this?
Was it Kylie Jenner's lips?
Eyebrows on fleek?
Or did you just ask yourself
Why'd she just say
hashtag goals then pause?
Who gave her the mike?
What is she doing?
But did you ever stop and think
what really are my goals?
and how can I achieve them?
Well for many of us
graduating
maybe just passing english [indiscernible]
at this point
going to university
getting that dream job
may have been the first thing
that came to mind
when you heard me say
hashtag goals.
But how often do you consider the barriers
that make achieving these goals
way more difficult
and the fact that some of these barriers
only apply to you
because of your gender.
Well, there's a term called
the Glass Ceiling or the Glass wall
or the Glass Barrier, whatever you
want to call it
it's a term used to describe
that unseen barrier that prevents you from
achieving your goals just because of your
gender regardless of any qualifications
or achievements you may have.
So whether that's trying to get a certain
position at work
or the wage gap between men and women
for equal work or even just
gender stereotyping people on their
work roles and abilities.
But I can tell you first-hand
how discouraging
facing a wall like this can be to
girls trying to achieve their goals.
I'd like to compare this
to walking up a flight of stairs
and at every level you're blocked
by a transparent wall.
You can see beyond this wall
because your goal is set
to get to the very top of the stairs
but you just can't get past it.
Well how do you do that?
Well let me share a situation that
actually happened to me.
A wall I once faced
was being discriminated against
because of my gender.
So last year my school academy and I
said we'd do a bunch of projects
around Edmonton
we'd go and present
at different establishments
to young female students
how girls and boys are portrayed
in media
how damaging this image can be.
So we'd go out in our academy uniform
and we'd do these presentations
but between one of the presentations
three of my classmates and me
were pulled to the side and asked to leave
the establishment we were presenting at
because our uniform academy skirts
didn't respect their dress code.
Mind you, they respected our
dress code which was past the fingertips.
I was blocked from achieving my
goal that day.
This was the first instance where I really
saw how young girls can be
prevented from achieving their goals
just because of their gender.
Instead of teaching young girls about
being discriminated against because of
their gender
which is what I was doing with my academy
I was actually experiencing it.
I was made to feel guilty
for doing something
or in this case wearing something
that was completely appropriate.
My Glass Wall was in front of me
and I felt pretty terrible.
I felt afraid to wear my uniform again
even if it was something
that I was proud to wear
because to me
my uniform symbolises
being a part of change
and having a voice
and feeling empowered
yet
I felt none of those things.
But how did I get back to feeling all
those things again?
Well I was fortunate enough
to have my friends and teachers
that were there on the spot and after
when that happened
to help support me
and acknowledge that it wasn't my fault
and that I was ok
and this all really made sense to me
because my Glass Wall was shattered
with the help of other people
because a Glass Ceiling
is something that needs teamwork
but as cliché as it sounds
the glory in life is that
you learn from your past experiences
and you have no regrets
but when you see that Glass Ceiling
that Glass Wall
that barrier in front of you
and you wonder how on earth
you're gonna break through it
take a look at the broken pieces of glass
on the ground around you and behind you
and let those broken pieces of glass
give you the strength
to break through that barrier
in front of you
because you've realised
you've already done it before
and you can do it again
and the good thing about these kinds of
barriers is that they become easier to break
when you realise there are other people
trying to break it with you.
When we realise we're all trying to break
the exact same glass
and this is why we need to start
working together now.
Because by working together now
we make this process easier
for generations to come
just like generations
that have passed before us
like our mothers
even inspiring women like Malala
who fought for change just so that girls
can have an education.
These women fought together to make the
struggle easier for us
by fighting for our right to vote
by taking most of the hits
and punches in the workplace
just so we can experience
less discrimination.
They have shown us that we need to instill
leadership among young girls now
because when we give them these
amazing leadership skills
and we teach them to work together
and to be aware of gender issues
both male and female
and to instill self-worth
we give them the ability to break through
any Glass Ceiling
any barrier they face
and this will allow them
and give them the ability
to achieve their goals.
So I'm going to leave you
with one question
What does hashtag goals mean to you?
Thank you.