Speaking Up

Melinda Gates Melinda Gates Melinda Gates Melinda Gates once said   “A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult.”

 I too believe finding one's voice or the courage to speak up is never been easy in particular when it comes to issues that seem to be a taboo. I recall at one time talking about women issue such as breast cancer was sesentive issue until when such personality such as Yuthar Al Rawahi and national cancer awareness group back then started to speak up about it. It only  became a national campaign after some years with their voices being preserver.

Without that initial courage to speak up  it might have remained a sensitive issue.

I was so shy when I was growing  up, though I was so passionate about writing however I always had special shell between me and others.

I was lucky to have met courageous role models such as doctor Zakia Al Lamky and later on Yuthar Al Rawahi who pushed me out of my comfort zone to use poetry as platform to speak up and join in their effort in spreading awareness on cancer.

Only then I began to find that to have voice that is bold enough to speak out is essential to create a better change. At times one can be criticised or laughed at but never underestimat e the power of a voice as it might seem that voice as unheard but being consistent it will prevail. This is what I have exprienced through using a platform such as poetry and now public speaking.

In general women prefer to take back stage in terms of speaking up, it is essential we encourage women to speak up as only issues related to women can be discussed when women themselves raise their concerns.

I would like to conclude that with social media nowdays it has provided a number of platform that one can use to speak up and vast opportunities to address social issues. To find your voice might not happen over night as Audre Lorde states ways to begin is  "Next time, ask: what’s the worst that will happen? Then push yourself a little further than you dare. Once you start to speak, people will yell at you. They will interrupt you, put you down and suggest it’s personal. And the world won’t end … And the speaking will get easier and easier. And you will find you have fallen in love with your own vision, which you may never have realized you had."

Nasra Al Adawi, poet