Tears came to my eyes as I watched the video of 16-year old Rinelle Harper address a special chiefs assembly at The Assembly of First Nations today. I became emotional because I wondered why it takes young ladies like Rinelle and Malala Yousafzai - broken, bruised and left for dead - to get our attention when it comes to issues that affect girls and women. Why can't we have voices that are proactive in these causes and prevent them from happening in the first place? Why do we have to talk about "women's issues" when really these are human rights issues? I thought back to the 25th anniversary of the Montreal Massacre from this past weekend and wonder how long the battle will wage on. A friend of mine had a baby girl this weekend and it's my hope that Gabbie grows up in a better world, especially for girls and women. I hope that when she is Rinelle's age, that we can talk about the way it used to be for girls, not the way it continues to be.
I admire Rinelle for the courage she displayed in using her voice to speak for those who can't speak for themselves, specifically missing and murdered indigenous women. Her words were profound: "I ask that everyone here remember a few simple words: love, kindness, respect and forgiveness."
winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/rinelle-harper-calls-for-inquiry-into-missing-murdered-indigenous-women-at-afn-meeting-1.2139029
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