- Digital creators and artists on their feminist role models and more
In the day of social media, creators and artists have empowered themselves to make a difference on social issues through their art using their cyber platforms to raise awareness of causes close to their hearts. They influence minds, challenge glass ceilings, and lobby for change through their creative expressions and platforms, moving forward generations, and exposing them to be inspired and authentic to themselves. These are four such young women.
Artist Sahlah Anees
Governed by the patriarchy
Shenaz Rumana Hajireen recently graduated with an LLB degree and runs a beauty/makeup blog (@brownallure_) on Instagram and TikTok, while working full-time for an IT company. She is a beauty and fashion enthusiast who tries to step out of societal norms and break gender-related barriers through art by expressing her most raw and real emotions.
In your opinion, what’s the most underrepresented gender issue?
In my opinion, one of the main, if not the most, underrepresented gender-related issues faced by women is chauvinism and seeing women as incapable and irrational beings. There is a certain image built around women that whatever we do or say has to be within a standard made and governed by the patriarchy and that women are mostly incapable of getting about with their daily lives without a male presence.
Often, this stems from the lack of independent financial stability that women have been prevented from building for themselves. It is inevitable that for centuries, women have always been restricted to the responsibilities of ensuring that women are to serve their husbands and care for their families while sacrificing any and all desires she may have for herself and her future. By subjecting women to prohibitions and restrictions over the years, this problem has extended to create further issues such as violence and abuse against women and even the lack of access to education for girls because the male figures in the lives of these women would dictate the terms on which these women are supposed to “merely exist”.
I personally dream of a day when we women can walk on the streets without being eyed and catcalled by men on the road. It is a genuine fear as to whether we are travelling back in time to an age where women did not even have voting rights. As much as we would like to believe that women are given equal opportunities, whether this is being practised in actuality is a serious question we need to ask ourselves.
What’s the best advice you have received?
I’ve always been warned that being a woman in this society is already difficult, and that means we have to work a little bit harder and a little bit smarter to reach our goals than any male counterpart. Therefore, if you want something bad enough and that desire is keeping you awake at night, then you will find the energy and courage to work towards it, through thick and thin, because no one will serve you your desires and achievements on a silver platter without you having to work for it. If your desire is strong enough, no obstruction will ever stop you from moving forward.
Who is your feminist role model?
I find inspiration from many people in my life because I believe everyone has a story that has brought them to where they are. If you look for it in the right mind-set, there is always something to learn from every person we meet. But I must say my biggest inspiration to live my life independently has come from my mother. She single-handedly raised my sister and me while my dad was employed overseas for 20+ years and she made sure our education was her and our top priority always. So she sacrificed her leisure to make sure we were well-cared for; all this while making sure that they made the right investments for our future. While I am immensely grateful to her for all this, I am inspired by her to be strong and live an independent life in which I do not require a male presence to make sure that my life is spent well and that my future is secure.
Content creator and musician Jeramine Alexander
Period pain, overlooked
Sahlah Anees is a student at Royal Institute following a degree in international relations through the University of London. She is also an artist who is known to perform to raise awareness on social issues. Currently, she is working as a freelance compère with well-known lifestyle brands as well as for corporate events.
In your opinion, what’s the most underrepresented gender issue?
I think I’m very biassed in my opinion because it’s an issue I struggle with. While there are other issues I feel are underrepresented gender issues, one such issue I feel needs to be spoken about more is period cramps. I’ve seen women tolerate it and go to work and school and it’s not normal. We stay back at home when we are sick and period cramps are much worse. Research shows that the pain can be as severe as a heart attack. It is not normal for someone with so much pain to go about their daily life with domestic duties or work and school without resting. Also, the fact that employers, teachers and families don’t understand what it means to be in so much pain and say things like: “it’s not an excuse because it happens to everyone, and you need to learn to put up with it and continue.”
What’s the best advice you have received?
Don’t wait for a man to do things for you. We are constantly taught that we can’t do things for ourselves and that our man should provide and do things for us. This is quite disappointing. I used to wait for my previous partners to offer me the world and would be so disappointed when they didn’t. One day, I came across this idea on some random social media post and ever since not only have I felt self-sufficient and happy, but my expectations of a partner changed completely. This helped me build a healthy relationship with my current partner, where it is focused on an emotional connection rather than material expectations, but it also helped build my self-confidence.
Who is your feminist role model?
Gangubai, and Malala Yousefzai – love the sisterhood they’ve both initiated and protected with their lives.
Gender norms
Jeramine is a 23-year-old content creator, comedian, musician and singer who is popular for her videos on TikTok and Instagram. She specialises in creating engaging content for businesses, especially in Tamil.
In your opinion, what's the most underrepresented gender issue?
Coming from a Tamil household, the biggest issue in my opinion is that women are expected to behave and present themselves in a certain way. It’s so important and cannot be ignored, because if you don’t adhere to what they expect of you, you would be cut off from familial support, a good social status, and love.
There are multiple cases where the affected woman had to cut ties with the family that she grew up in for the sake of mental peace.
What’s the best advice you have received?
The best advice that I have received is to be myself. However, it came from the same person who expects me to be a certain way, because I am a woman. It is almost like saying, be yourself, but not this way.
Who is your feminist role model?
I personally take the qualities that I admire from any woman I see and admire. Therefore, I do not have a specific role model. However, from my mother to all the leading women in Sri Lanka, they all have their own way of being the best women they are.
The upper hand
Navoda Bennett Rathnayake is best known as Benny. She is a self-taught fashion designer and entrepreneur working on various projects. As a trans woman herself, Benny is a queer activist whose work focuses primarily on the LGBTQIA+ community in Sri Lanka including the Pride March in 2022.
In your opinion, what’s the most underrepresented gender issue?
I think the issues of the feminine identifying people of this world have been faced because since the past, from a religious and cultural perspective, masculine identifying people have had an upper hand, which is why things are made in a way that caters to their needs and in a way that is comfortable for them, rather than thinking of everyone else.
What’s the best advice you have received?
To always be myself, and be true to myself, no matter what happens or no matter what anyone says because I know what I’m comfortable with and I know what I like and what I don’t.
Who’s your feminist role model?
If I see something good in someone, if I see something that they do to help someone out, I will take inspiration from it. I only see people in two ways; if they’re not hurting themselves, if they’re not hurting anyone else, I don’t care about anything else. I see that person as a good person and I will have them in my life and be there for them.
(Grace Wickremasinghe is a social media content creator and spoken word poet who organises open mic nights as House of Grace Events. Through her work, she passionately advocates on behalf of marginalised communities and is a multifaceted academic with a law, gender, women’s studies, forensics science and medicine, English literature, and psychology background)