Introducing myself and my journal: My activism

janarthani10

My activism

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• Introduction

About Me:
I must admit that I came into activism late. I was almost 30 when I started seriously working on issues. Prior to this I was focused on completing my education and getting a stable job. It is easy to get distracted with the daily demands of life which leads you further and further away from what you love to do. In 2006, I have the most incredible piece of good luck. I had the opportunity to apply for a programme for young women entitled, Writers for Women's Rights Programme (http://www.awam.org.my/wwrp.html). The training I attended really transformed my life as a woman. I found myself being politicized and awakened as an empowered individual who wanted to change things and address social injustice.

The first thing I did was conduct a programme for young male college students to raise awareness on issues regarding VAW. This was the first time I had done something concrete about an issue I was very concerned about, it was intoxicating. I enjoyed the chance of working with the young men who were eager to learn news things and were part of a process of raising awareness about an issue. After which I knew I had to move closer to doing similar things in order to live the kind of life I wanted. It has been a long process because it has not been a direct route and neither did I have fixed plans as to how I planned to get there. I worked largely by intuition and my internal compass led me on an astounding journey which is still in progress.

As women, I believe we have an internal compass that direct us towards a destination which we may or may not be aware of yet. It always points towards our most authentic selves as women and individuals who inhabit this planet. We constantly make choices which leads us closer or further away from our true purpose. I have come to terms with the purpose of my life, which is to work with women, and learn to live a life the benefits the world. Some times, I make horrendous mistakes that do not reflect my mission in life and I have to recalibrate my internal compass and find a new path. I trust the process and my internal instincts as well as my compass to lead the way.