A., 14 yrS.//14 ans
Nous lançons notre série d’entrevues avec une adolescente de 14 ans — la fille de notre fondatrice, une activiste-en entrainement qui essaye avant tout de traverser l'adolescence
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What better way to start off our series of interviews with female activists than with A., the 14-year old daughter of our founder, a potential activist-in-the-making who first needs to survive teenagerdom.
If you had all the power or money in the world, what problem would you solve? Si tu possédais tout l’argent et le pouvoir au monde, quel problème résoudrais-tu ?
The fact that girls always feel they need to make a choice. In general in my grade my age and even older girls are always saying, well I’d rather be called a ‘ho’ than a prude…I’d rather be called ‘this’ than ‘that’. And I think that we shouldn’t have to choose…I don’t want there to have to be a choice between the nasty names that I could be called. Girls should just say no, I’m not being called any of this...You shouldn’t have to think about things like that, especially at this age. We shouldn’t have to feel this pressure that’s put on us by society to be either a prude or a slut , for example.''
Who or what inspires you? Qui ou quoi t’inspire ?
Mostly people my age — I don’t feel adults inspire me. They do, but I’m not inspired by an adults way of work or anything because they’re older and they’re always gonna have a better way…than me, so I don’t get inspired by that. But the people that are my age and are amazing…I can relate to that more.
What scares you? Qu’est-ce qui te fait peur ?
Death. Anger, people fighting in front of me, it’s scary, I hate it. And the street of Mont Royal at night.
If you didn’t have to go to school, then you would...? Complète cette phrase : si tu n'étais pas forcée d'aller à l’école, tu ?
(I’d) go to the SPCA. Well, hang out with friends but if it were to do something good, like if I had to do something valuable with my life, it would be with the SPCA…I’d got to Detroit and all those places and like, search for dog fights and bust them.
What is the best thing about being a woman? Quel est l’avantage d’être femme ?
I like it all. I like the clothes (laughs). I like that its so much more fun to style hair and stuff… Girls are just more original to me — in general, about everything I find. I like it. I wouldn’t want to be a boy…I think all the girls we’re all a big family… you see those memes on instagram about their lives and everyone can relate. I don’t know, I find that comforting and I like it.
What’s the hardest part about being a woman? Et quel est l’aspect le plus difficile en tant que femme ?
You’re not really allowed to have many flaws.
What do you want your obituary to say about your life? Que voudrais-tu qu’on dise sur toi à ta mort ?
That she lived it like she only lives once. Like that everything I do I’ve done it in the spur of the moment, I’ve never overthought anything, I just do it. And when it’s done it’s done, and if it’s to a person and they don’t like me as a person after that then that’s their problem, and if I get hurt then that’s my problem, I’ll get over it. And everything I do, I know that I’ll always get over it and if I’m going to do it, I may as well do it now.
What advice can you give people who want to DO something but don’t know how? Quel conseil donnerais-tu à quelqu’un qui veut FAIRE du bien dans le monde mais ne sait pas comment ?
Well don’t overthink…just do it and don’t stress about it. Don’t make it a huge big deal. And just get on with it or else it’ll never happen and you may as well have never thought of it.
How does it feel to have a mother who does something? C’est comment, être la fille d’une mère qui gère son propre OBNL ?
I like it, I’m very proud. Of being able to say that my mum does something. Sometimes it’s scary because I’m scared that some people in the world won’t like that you do something (about the issues in the news)…but most of the time I know that it’s so brave.
If you were a boy, what single thing would you do to empower the girls around you? Si tu étais garçon, que ferais-tu pour soutenir les filles ?
Just embrace the flaws — I know that sounds cheesy. Compliment (girls) a lot.
Anything to add about inspiration? As-tu autre chose à dire sur l’inspiration ?
Well, I really think that nothing can really inspire completely. Like, you inspire me, but nothing is fully inspirational. Like wow this person is doing their own thing — that’s inspiring, but I also have myself and I inspire myself the most. That sounds cheesy but other people can’t inspire you as much as you can inspire yourself.