Hillary Mahlangu, 20
This week, the Let Girls Lead's Global Girls' Conversation Video Contest features a video submission by Hillary Mahlangu from Johannesburg, South Africa. Hillary is part of a movement for activists called V-girls. The group believes women should stand up and stand together against the violence that is directed at them in their country and around the world. She helps other girls, like herself, raise their voices and be counted in their collective struggle to change the perceptions that people have toward women as well as the laws that govern the country.
Hillary is an advocate for L.G.B.T.I (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Intersex), women's inclusion and rights. Her group uses poetry, performance, stroytelling and targeted campaigns such as "I post better nude" to amplify their message.
Hilary's Story:
In my country a woman no longer embraces her God-given beauty for if not western ideology governing a female's prospective appearance, she made to feel worthless and tormented with fear that even though she is gifted to bare a nation, she still becomes an object for violation.
Hi. I'm Hillary from South Africa and I am part of a movement called V-girls. It's a movement for activists who stand up against violence against women and children. And with it we have help numerous girls establish a voice of their own. We have fought against sexual violence in our country and are still fighting against those rights.
Again, I have also recently developed my own movement; it's called I Pose Better Nude. A very controversial term that we use to establish the rights that have not been established by our constitution. People still remain scrutinized in our country. People still remain objects and victims and are still seen as less worthy. I'm talking about L.G.B.T.I (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Intersexed) rights and sexual rights that aren't being recognized. Women are still victimized in our country and so with this movement we communicate with people on so many different platforms; in artistic forms- we communicate with people; we challenge the laws of our country. We perform and we create stories and we interact as well as write and do whatever it takes until our voices are heard.
So I say I pose better nude.
Let Girls Lead empowers girls and their allies to lead social change through advocacy, education, economic empowerment, storytelling and strategic partnerships, contributing to improved health, education and livelihoods for more than 3 million girls globally.
Let Girls Lead's Global Girls' Conversation video contest highlights girls' power to create change by sharing their own solutions through short videos. The video contest has been an exciting opportunity for girls, organizations working with girls and girls' allies to submit one to two-minute videos capturing girls' solutions and successes. In partnership with The Huffington Post, Let Girls Lead will continue to feature these compelling videos on the Global Girls' Conversation interactive platform and on Huffington Post's Global Motherhood column, sharing girls' power to lead change with a global audience. Contest winners will receive $10,000 in cash, equipment and training to create their own short films.