Off With the Law

The attempt on Malala’s life sparked international outrage. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, a part of the United Nations Special Envoy, started a petition in her name, demanding that every girl in the world have the right to an education by 2015.

Malala Yousafzai

Malala had been recovering at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, and has recently been discharged. Though her life was saved this time, the Taliban won’t hesitate to try to assassinate her again, all because she is a girl who isn’t afraid to speak her mind, and demand the right to a proper education.

The Equal Feeling and Rights to Come

Despite most countries granting women equal rights, there are still a few that deny their female citizens the rights they deserve. Progress is slowly being made however, such as in Saudi Arabia. At the moment, Saudi’s women still are not permitted to vote or run for office, but things are set to change. In September 2011, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud declared that the women of his nation will finally have their rights to vote and run in politics with the arrival of 2015.

People who were born and raised in North America truly don’t understand just how lucky they are, especially the women. Citizens choose not to go to school or skip classes because they are lazy or don’t like the person teaching the course. Meanwhile, Malala almost lost her life fighting for the chance to get a proper education. When elections are held, members of society scratch ballots, or skip the polls entirely. The women of Saudi Arabia still have to wait another two years before they can finally make their paper voices heard by marking an x on a ballot.

To the females in Canada, remember how fortunate you are. Women from many decades before fought long and hard for you to be able to work, get educated, and vote. Other suffragist movements are still in progress. As they fight for their rights, don’t throw yours by the wayside.

These cases studies are just three of many that see everyday individuals taking power into their own hands to break societies established rules and practices in an effort to create positive change in their communities and in the world around them. So when you hear of people fighting for cause hitting the airwaves, keep an open mind to what they are advocating for, regardless of how the media portrays them—they may be fighting for rights you never knew you lacked.

References

Anonymous:
– Wired.com
– National Post
– Wikipedia – Anonymous
– Global Post
– Infosecurity Magazine
– The Telegraph

LGBT:
– Wikipedia – Stonewall Riots
– Wikipedia – Harvey Milk
– Wikipedia – LGBT Rights in Canada
– Mediaite.com
– The Religion of Peace
– Government of Canada
– Gage Canadian Dictionary

Women’s Rights:
– BBC
– Wikipedia – Malala Yousafzai
– Wikipedia – Women’s Suffrage
– Lowden, Jean. Human history book.

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By: Chantelle (Tilly) Wark, Staff Writer

Better known by my alias “Tilly,” I’m a proud Canadian who’s sixth-generation on the family homestead. I’m currently working on my B.A in English with Athabasca University by correspondence, and I firmly believe in using our freedom of speech to its fullest potential (it’s just as important as voting). For more of my idiosyncrasies, please check out the following:

Twitter: @ChantelleTillyW

A Paper Voice (http://apapervoice.blogspot.com)

Linked In: Chantelle (Tilly) Wark