Youth
Activism Brings Meaning to My Life
By Ritu, Youth Activist, Peer Advisor, and Volunteer
Why am I a youth activist? Because my cultural background forced
me to be. Growing up as a first generation South Asian woman, I noticed
that other South Asian women suffered from a chronic problem known
as misinformation. Young women were victims of an unrealistic double
standard and grew up sheltered from reality, especially when it came
to sexuality.
There are many taboos surrounding sexuality in my culture. Speaking of sexuality
is not allowed. When a loved one is lost to HIV/AIDS, not speaking about it
brings grief. And, it hurts especially to know such a death could have been
prevented with education. This has been my inspiration for becoming a youth
activist. Young people are the future, and people under age 22 are the first
generation to spend their entire lives worrying about or confronted with HIV/AIDS.
Why would we want to risk our lives through ignorance?
Through my experiences working as a peer advisor for a woman's shelter and
as a volunteer at a women's center, I have learned a great deal. I am lucky
to have the knowledge I do and the opportunity to seek out more knowledge and
experience.
I am now working with a newly developed program called the Young Women of Color
(YWOC) Leadership Council. It is a collaboration of eight diverse young women
from all over the United States who have come together with one purpose—to
educate! Working with the YWOC Leadership Council will allow me to focus on
women of varied ethnic and cultural backgrounds, including my own.
The more I learn, the more I want to share, and the more I realize how vulnerable
people are. Being a youth activist is a major part of my life that allows me
to reach out and educate other youth as well as to continue learning from them.
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