Youth Orientation Day

Today we went to the Youth Orientation Day, organised by the Working Group on Girls at a Salvation Army building downtown in Manhattan. It was a great day for the whole delegation to be inspired by speakers such as Michele Bachelet, Leymah Gbowee, and the Kenyan Ambassador to the UN. All of which are really great speakers who tell great stories and make their audiences feel like they can really affect change in the world.

Today was also a chance for the delegation to practice answering questions, and my question to Michele Bachelet was a real highlight of the day. I asked 'What role can non-formal education play in achieving gender equality?' and the answer included her thoughts on the importance of role models, how education on gender equality needs to start really early (in pre-school years), and how non-formal educaton is as, if not more, important than formal education in achieing gender equality.

I also picked up a number of inspiring quotes from today, and I will share these with you:

'Leaders are not born, they are made' 

This is testament to what WAGGGS does and what the delegates here at the CSW demonstrate. Our experiences through our lives so far hae developed us all as great leaders.

'People will not remember what you say, they won't remember what you do, but people will remember how you made them feel'

I think this is so true, and the key to inspiring others to support your cause is to make them feel your cause. When teaching girls and young women about advocacy it's extremely important to make them feel like they do have the power to make a difference and they can truly be agents of change. When you see yourself as an agent of chane - you become one.