Changes that Can Lead to a Better Life 57
Ways girls can work for a better life
Find someone to talk to who you think will listen and
understand—a friend, a sister, or another female relative. Talk
about your fears and problems. Together, you can talk about
strong women in your community, your goals, and dreams for
the future.
Do things that you and your friends think are important.
If you see a problem in your community, get together with
your friends to do something to change it. You will all
feel proud when you see that your efforts can make your
community better.
Try to plan your future. The first thing you
can do to plan for your future is to set
goals. A goal is something you would
like to happen. For most girls this
is not easy. Many feel their lives
are controlled by their families
or the traditions of their
communities. But you can
start to help yourself by
knowing what you want.
Next, try to talk to
a woman or man
who works at
something you
would like to
do. It could be
someone you
admire,
or a
leader
in your
community. Ask
if you can spend time
with that person to learn
more about their work.
Sometimes girls feel frustrated because their dreams and hopes for their future
may conflict with the beliefs in their community and family about what a woman
should do. It is important to explain your dreams and hopes carefully to adults and
to listen to their concerns also. See page 65 for ideas about how to communicate
with your family.
Where Women Have No Doctor 2012