MADRID, 2 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Ana, Selene or Laura are an example of improvement. The first was born in Beijing, the second is a gypsy and the third spent her adolescence in a shelter. Each of them tells Europa Press how, despite adversity, they have fought for a future in which they would like dates like March 8, Women’s Day, to be “more of a party than a demand.”
Ana (not her real name) is 22 years old. She was born in Beijing but has since lived in Belarus and Russia, where she spent four and three years respectively. She recalls that she arrived in Spain in 2017 “by chance”, without having knowledge of the language.
She spent her first year in Bilbao and currently lives in Madrid, where she works as an interpreter in a company, where she provides support to fight against trafficking in women. She combines this work with her passion for classical music since since she was little she played the violin, a hobby that she can continue to pursue since she is studying a career in violin performance. “Now I have a pretty organized life,” she admits.
As she has lived in several countries, she confirms the existence of different treatment of women depending on the culture of each region. “In Russia or Belarus, women have to have a man, it’s like a necessity to have a good husband,” she explains, a situation to which she “didn’t pay much attention.” Instead, when she arrived in Spain, she was struck by the comments she had to endure on the street. “It seems like people have an obsession or a fetish for Asian women,” she laments.
The young woman assures that in both China and Russia she has seen how March 8 is celebrated but from a different perspective. “In the case of Russia, women are appreciated for their work since there are many widows and women who have been left alone and their work is remembered,” she says.
In any case, he sees it as “interesting to take advantage of this day to set goals at a social level and raise awareness among everyone.” Specifically, it emphasizes the importance of “talking more about women’s health” and raising more awareness about the role of porn in society. “There is a lot of sexism and abuse in this industry,” she denounces.
However, he insists on the importance of “seeing the advantages that exist in a democratic country like Spain.” “There are not only macho men, you can also be independent and take advantage of your abilities. You don’t have to be afraid to try things and try things,” he advises.
Selene Jiménez, 24 years old, lives in Palencia, who completed a secondary and then a higher education cycle in Image and Sound in Valladolid. In addition, she has participated in the TándEM course that the Secretariado Gitano Foundation does with the State Public Employment Service (SEPE), which “mixes training and internships” since it is made up of a theoretical part and another part directly as a worker, “with a contract of three months of training and nine months of internship”.
Thus, she collaborates with the Foundation in some of the health and gender equality programs that are carried out, in addition to being a volunteer at this institution. Selene is also doing a Degree in Social Intervention specialized in the Roma population that will end in June. “Everything is online but I have already internalized the content and it is easier than for someone who has not experienced it,” she says.
The young woman remembers that, since she was little, she liked “all kinds of toys” and always had the support of her family. “They encouraged me to choose what I liked. There is part of my family that is more classic but the majority of people encourage me,” highlights Selene, who specifies that, given her physical appearance, she has not faced situations of discrimination that Yes, other members of his family have suffered.
Regarding Women’s Day, she emphasizes the importance of “seeing what progress has been made.” “It is not only a demand but also a party. Now young people have more awareness and when it comes to demonstrating there are more people,” she highlights.
Looking to the future, he would like it to be “more of a party than a demand” and asks that “there be more real equality.” “Not only on paper, but equality between both men and women is real, that there is not this moral struggle,” she asks. For this reason, he asks political leaders to take “real measures that truly affect future generations” since there are needs of youth in general that are not being covered, such as employment or housing.
Laura (18 years old) has been in a juvenile center since 2014, where she spent eight years. She now lives with her father and her sister in Parla (Madrid) and has decided to continue studying to build a future. Thus, she applied for a scholarship from the Soñar Despierto Foundation and is currently studying Health Emergencies. “I hesitated between nursing assistant or Health Emergencies, but in the end the second one won. I’m curious, I like helping people,” she says.
As explained by the Soñar Despierto Foundation, scholarships like the one obtained by Laura – requested by young people who want to continue training once they leave the child protection system – help to achieve a future that is “less scary” because “when they are in reception centers, studying is very complicated. Every year, around 30 scholarships are awarded, financed thanks to donations from different companies and/or individuals.
Regarding her perception of Women’s Day, Laura assures that it is a day in which “all women go out to fight not only for their rights, but for everything, for cases of abuse for example.” She states that she has never had the opportunity to participate in any demonstration or event, although she explains that she saw it on TV and thought: “How cool, I wish I could go! Because at the end of the day I am a woman and I would like to go at some point, for know how to live.”
Although he does not yet know if he will attend any marches this year – since he has classes in the afternoon – he agrees to “go out into the streets” and calls on politicians to take into account that today’s young people “they are not weak or lazy.”
“We all need help but we are not lazy people who don’t want to do things because at the end of the day we are the ones who have it the most complicated, with studies, work and many things. We try to achieve everything we set out to do and, If not, we find a thousand different ways to try to achieve it even if we have to do 800 laps,” he emphasizes. For this reason, he calls for “erasing this stereotype of uncommitted and rude youth.”
