This year I decided to partake in OSC Girls Rise, a program centered around female empowerment. We will be hearing from a host of guest speakers from diverse backgrounds on their personal and professional stories and experiences with success and failure. The initiative is meant to inspire the next generation of women and equip them with the tools to pursue their goals regardless of whatever obstacles they may face.
The first speaker was Tiffany Carothers, a female surfer based in Arugam Bay. She is the founder of Girls Make Waves, an initiative that seeks to empower women by teaching them to surf. Tiffany was a huge inspiration to our cohort, which consisted of female OSC students from grades 5-12. She shared her story with us, explaining what motivated her to start the group and how she persevered despite being the recipient of threatening behavior from local law enforcement and members of the community. She explained the importance of teaching girls these types of skills- it allows them to grow more confident, tackle problems head-on, and simply gives them an outlet for stress. After the talk, we were split into breakout groups and given the opportunity to discuss our thoughts on what we had just heard with our peers.
The session not only allowed for an environment of supportive female empowerment but gave me some insight into the difficulties female surfers, and athletes as a whole, face due to cultural oppression. As I am not a sportsperson myself, this has been enlightening and given way to a new dimension of appreciation for those who grapple with these patriarchal values on the field and waves.
I am eagerly looking forward to the next talk and to learn and grow with this group of girls!
Learning Outcomes:
LO6- Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance Students are able to identify and demonstrate their understanding of global issues, make responsible decisions, and take appropriate action in response to the issue either locally, nationally, or internationally.