Speech Meet '11 - since y'all been askin'

Titled: Self Suppression

Good afternoon distinguished judges, fellow competitors and most appreciated guests. I am Parveen Sarana from L.A. Matheson Secondary School and today, I'll be sharing my stand point on the age old quarry of women's rights... or rather the lack of. But I assure you this will not be one of those fact filled old history lessons, so sit back and take a journey into the mind of a teenage woman drowning in a degrading society.

My epiphany occurred as I sat in my grade 12 creative writing class as my classmates and I participated in a discussion... when someone posed the random unrelated question (now excuse my memory here, as this may not be exact) “Why is it that in some cultures men expect women to do things they don't do themselves?” This perfectly curious question sent my neurons transmitting impulses in hyper drive and I realized it is not the men – it's us...

I can see that you are disbelieving but imagine for a moment the cover of any magazine whether it be Cosmopolitan or Sports Illustrated – notice the scantly clad woman with all her * ahem * curves all exposed and underneath in white block lettering “True Beauty – Achievable in 10 simple steps!” Now pause... in our society we believe in the wise words of Tyra Banks, “She is fierce! She is sexy, she is confidant with her body! - She is beautiful!”

Switch scenarios to walking down the street. It is a crisp summer morning and as you walk along the cold concrete you notice a woman wearing a burka – a full length garment covering her entire body. Immediately our society thinks in the words of Kenza Drider, an average woman as quoted in an article done by CBC, “it's against individual liberty, no against liberty of conscience!” She is being pent up! She is suppressed, she is ashamed of her being! - she is ugly!

Here is where I hit the disconnect.

Am I as a teenage woman meant to look up to – excuse my generalization – bikini models and anorexic auto-tuned signers all while I look forward to botox?

Long gone are the dreams of Mary Shelly or Nellie McClung and the famous five.

Equality now stands for being able to get away with short shorts in the office and suing all those animistic men who gawk at you.

Empowerment now translates to being able to dress in the most degrading outfit because that means you, you are free.

Freedom is now found on the cover of PlayBoy magazine.

It seems that on the way to the land of equality, we women got lost somewhere on self suppression lane. But have no fear, because we can become the activists of today, the famous many of today! I have hope.

We complained of being treated like objects. We despised being forced to fit the stereotypes of our gender. We claimed to be suppressed... but in reality we have began misusing all our new found 'freedom', we have brought the worst upon ourselves.

I have hope because if I am able to realize the beauty in a woman who as the self respect to not show off her body like some sort of object. If I can realize the beauty in a woman who has the courage to stand against the grain of society. If I can see the indescribable beauty of a woman who holds values that are without superficial nature. Then I have hope, that you can too. Because I can see that the woman you passed in our imaginary crisp summer morning walk is beautiful, because she can see what she truly is – priceless.

Now do not get me wrong, I do not intend for us all to cover ourselves completely in order to be of any worth. BUT we women have criticized, misjudged and played the blame game for too long. We have allowed ourselves to sink new lows all in the falsely led pursuit of equality.

Today a woman may be able to vote – but she is not free.

No, we will not be free until she quits blaming those around her and begins to understand that we are doing this to ourselves. We allow ourselves to be perceived in such a way that we have created our own suppression.

As a lotus flower is able to float a top a pond of dirty water, without hurting those around it or sinking into the crookedness down below. We need to strive to be above the corrupt norms of society.

Because true beauty is not defined by the amount of skin you show, but by the elegant nature that you able to spread positivity into the world around you through accepting yourself for what you are and in turn everyone around you.

True beauty is is achievable in but one simple step – self love.