A digital anthology of youth empowerment and collective action

Jot Kaur

Toronto, CANADA

June 2020

“Girls are weak and boys are strong”…

“Girls are weak and boys are strong…”

When I was a little girl, I heard words like these all the time. It wasn’t until middle school that I realized the impact they were having on me. By then, the words had already built up like walls around me and looking back now, I lost an ability to see.

My first-time experience as a MMUN delegate was so powerful that it unexpectedly cracked a wall, and at the end of the closing ceremony, Judith Cunningham knocked it down with a simple question to me:

“What are you going to do now?”

I suddenly felt empowered by a vision to tear down the many invisible walls of everyday gender inequality.

When I went home, I was determined to launch an inclusive seminar to get at the root of the issue – the parents. In a room with fifty parents from my own community, I led them through challenging, and at times uncomfortable, discussions on how gender stereotypes affected their children.

It all began with our parents’ own childhood memories at home, school, houses of worship, and the media…

A mother recalled the moment she couldn’t play soccer with her brothers anymore.

A father shared the frustration of being told to focus on learning about business instead of cooking new recipes in the kitchen.

One by one, the parents could more clearly see the gender walls they put around their own children. As they made a promise to begin to tear down those walls, I felt proud of the parents in my community and humbled by their support.

Then, and to this day, I still ask myself whenever there is a challenge before me:

“What are you going to do now?”

What part of the planet is yours to save?

Calling all former MMUN delegates and teachers: How did MMUN inspire you take action in your community or create lasting change within yourself? Submit your story and we'll feature a select group in the next volume of "The Once and Future Ambassadors" anthology!

Jot is from Toronto, Canada and a former MMUN delegate of Zimbabwe (2016). Learn more from UN Women about how to unlock dialogue and progress on gender equality for your own community.