hello everyone my name is Lila and I’m
17 years old and I’m from North barium
Academy and the title of my speech today
is the dispense of childhood it’s
something that I’m very passionate about
which is why I’m here to discuss it
today when I look at this picture it
emits everything that childhood is
supposed to be told it is supposed to be
happiness it’s supposed to be optimism
it’s supposed to be hope and it’s
supposed to be a carefree mentality now
when I was given a stimulus taking
flight I was a bit caught off guard
what does taking flight even mean it’s a
bit of an odd way to start off with
something then I realize the more that I
research that in order to understand
what taking flight means we have to look
inside who we are and when spiars us as
individuals now personally to me taking
flight means when you’re a child you
believe that you can conquer anything on
this planet no mister no missus is gonna
tell you no you can’t do it you can do
it when you put your heart and your soul
into it now I have a younger sister and
she’s now 14 when she was a toddler she
took this ivar so literally so much so
she’s the climb on top the fridge scream
I am on top of the world and then jump
off face friend all the time my absolute
inspiration she is but stories like that
show to me what childhood is supposed to
be we all have that unique passion to
conquer anything on this planet it
doesn’t matter whether you want to be
the next princess of Candyland or the
next greatest fire fighter or in my case
the next John Cena absolutely love him
you can do anything that you want
anything on this planet
unfortunately I understand that I’m from
a privileged background and not everyone
does experience this some children on
this planet they have their lives taken
off them their innocence removed from
them and then they can take flight to
the futures that they want to go to
which brings me to the topic of my
speech today FGM which stands for female
genital mutilation this occurs two girls
from 0 to 15 years of age and it
involves things such as burning scarring
or even cutting on the female genitalia
now as you can see 133 million girls
today in 29 countries in Africa the
Middle East and Asia
have undergone this procedure and not
only does it remove the innocence of
childhood it also removes the the
opportunities that you’re provided with
in adulthood such as a great sexual
health or even a functioning
reproductive system things like this
show me that we need to take a stand
today to help the our girls in our
future now as you can see this shows
this obviously highlights about the
innocence of children has been taken
away through these tools that they’d use
to perform female genital mutilation on
the girls here I have a map showing the
African countries in which female
genital mutilation takes place we have
places like Somalia Kenya Nigeria and
Chad now if you look further down
towards the bottom I can see my own
country Zimbabwe in which it says female
genital mutilation does not it’s not
widely practiced but I’m here to tell
you that not widely practice is not good
enough for me I want no child on this
whole planet to ever have to experience
such a traumatic thing also here as you
can see these are predominately Muslim
countries now another thing that bothers
me about FGM is a lot of people label it
and attach it to a religion FGM does not
belong to religion terrorism does not
belong to religion much like racism or
anything negative that you can think of
this is merely a cultural concept it’s
been taken out of hand and today we can
they make take a stand against it so in
the UK alone one hundred one thousand
and thirty seven girls have gone under
FGM so a statistic to me when I saw
actually took me aback if you take a
moment to think about it this could be
your mother your sister your neighbor or
even your auntie now when I told people
today I’m gonna be talking about FGM
people for a bit taken aback they were
like oh my la that’s a bit random but
the inspiration behind FGM has come from
my mother who was a great auntie nurse
if you can think of the most shocking
thing she’s probably treated it with her
eyes closed she’s absolutely fantastic
but from her own experience she’s
actually said that nothing has ever
affected her more or been more
heartbreaking than seeing a
fourteen-year-old girl cry when she
merely touches our arm tubes
stories like that actually inspired me
to stand here today another reason why I
want to help the girls that have been
silenced I have in their and I having
their innocence removed from them so how
do we combat as such a phenomena without
insulting or belittling other cultures
and other traditions well first of all
we recognize recognizing the symptoms of
girls that have gone under FGM or are
potential victims towards it is a key
part in the movement symptoms of girls
that have already gone under FGM include
difficulty walking or sitting or even
what running or even standing symptoms
of girls that are at potential threats
to female genital mutilation involves
sudden absences from school abrupt
holidays in which they’re preparing to
become a woman or preparing for a
marriage ceremony
um second of all conversation
conversation is so key in my life if you
ask any of my teachers any of my friends
I love to talk like a lot I believe that
when we talk about taboos subjects
subjects that no one wants to talk about
and we take uh sincere and humble
approach we solve the problems in our
universe but this only happens when we
when we step out of our comfort zone and
talk to people they’re not like us some
people aren’t from the same religion
same race same background in terms of
economics so how does this relate to
taking flight well much like the
functions of a plane each and every
single individual in society has their
role to play some of us are pilots some
of us are Co pilots
some of us are engines and others are
gears when we come together we form
something beautiful a planning which
helps our young girls today in order to
reach the futures that they want to
accomplish some of them want to be
doctors and we can be the ones to help
that so as young people what can we do
why are we the ones have to solve this
problem together well as young people we
are the innovators inspire us and the
creators of tomorrow I believe that as a
community when we come together when we
we must honor each other walking hand in
hand with our wings interlocks in order
to provide allies for our girls in the
future in order for them to become
better people and not
for them but for us too because when we
put our hearts and minds into it and we
become the plane that our society needs
I believe our society will emit
prosperity dignity rule of law justice
peace hope freedom equality and trust
thank you guys for listening I’m Lila
[Applause]
Lila the bravery just the bravery in
tackling a subject as I said that is
quite a difficult one we were talking
backstage and you know when I said to
you how long have you known about this
and you’ve said a couple of months I had
this little pang of guilt yeah I’ve
known about it longer and I haven’t do
anything what is it that inspired you
from hearing this from hearing stories
from your mom to say actually no we need
to do something about this what made you
change your kind of passion into action
well in terms of when I had to look at
myself first I’ve been fortunate enough
to have such great teachers such such a
great parents and they’ve shown me that
if you see something wrong you have to
take a stand towards it doesn’t matter
how little it doesn’t matter your age
wherever you come from those factors
don’t matter when you start to talk
about things when you want to take
action that’s when change begins so I’ve
been inspired by the people around me do
you know one thing I thought of when I
was listening to you is that revolutions
never start at the top they start with
one caring person just you they start
with you and I think that’s what you’ve
started a but there is one you talk
about your teachers and adults but there
is one special teacher we were talk
about before who I said to Lyla who
inspires you and what did you say
Shirin I said a Miss Blake she’s in the
crowd today miss Blake where are you
give it up for miss Blake well she’s
such an amazing piece
they she’s trying to get smaller and
smaller No we’ll have you tap-dancing
miss Blake
so what is it about miss Blake that
inspires you she’s such an incredible
woman I’ve only known her since
September really um some days I’ll come
into school and I’m like miss I don’t
want to do it
I hate sociology I can’t do it I’m the
worst and she’s always like no you can
do it you can do it some days I’m like
oh can’t you just say I can’t do
anything but from day one she’s always
believed in me and that’s something that
I’m so grateful for and I’m gonna miss
her when I leave six for Miss Blake
you’ll ask your legacy there that’s the
power of someone believing in you please
thank Lila Murph EMBO what a woman
[Applause]
17 years old and I’m from North barium
Academy and the title of my speech today
is the dispense of childhood it’s
something that I’m very passionate about
which is why I’m here to discuss it
today when I look at this picture it
emits everything that childhood is
supposed to be told it is supposed to be
happiness it’s supposed to be optimism
it’s supposed to be hope and it’s
supposed to be a carefree mentality now
when I was given a stimulus taking
flight I was a bit caught off guard
what does taking flight even mean it’s a
bit of an odd way to start off with
something then I realize the more that I
research that in order to understand
what taking flight means we have to look
inside who we are and when spiars us as
individuals now personally to me taking
flight means when you’re a child you
believe that you can conquer anything on
this planet no mister no missus is gonna
tell you no you can’t do it you can do
it when you put your heart and your soul
into it now I have a younger sister and
she’s now 14 when she was a toddler she
took this ivar so literally so much so
she’s the climb on top the fridge scream
I am on top of the world and then jump
off face friend all the time my absolute
inspiration she is but stories like that
show to me what childhood is supposed to
be we all have that unique passion to
conquer anything on this planet it
doesn’t matter whether you want to be
the next princess of Candyland or the
next greatest fire fighter or in my case
the next John Cena absolutely love him
you can do anything that you want
anything on this planet
unfortunately I understand that I’m from
a privileged background and not everyone
does experience this some children on
this planet they have their lives taken
off them their innocence removed from
them and then they can take flight to
the futures that they want to go to
which brings me to the topic of my
speech today FGM which stands for female
genital mutilation this occurs two girls
from 0 to 15 years of age and it
involves things such as burning scarring
or even cutting on the female genitalia
now as you can see 133 million girls
today in 29 countries in Africa the
Middle East and Asia
have undergone this procedure and not
only does it remove the innocence of
childhood it also removes the the
opportunities that you’re provided with
in adulthood such as a great sexual
health or even a functioning
reproductive system things like this
show me that we need to take a stand
today to help the our girls in our
future now as you can see this shows
this obviously highlights about the
innocence of children has been taken
away through these tools that they’d use
to perform female genital mutilation on
the girls here I have a map showing the
African countries in which female
genital mutilation takes place we have
places like Somalia Kenya Nigeria and
Chad now if you look further down
towards the bottom I can see my own
country Zimbabwe in which it says female
genital mutilation does not it’s not
widely practiced but I’m here to tell
you that not widely practice is not good
enough for me I want no child on this
whole planet to ever have to experience
such a traumatic thing also here as you
can see these are predominately Muslim
countries now another thing that bothers
me about FGM is a lot of people label it
and attach it to a religion FGM does not
belong to religion terrorism does not
belong to religion much like racism or
anything negative that you can think of
this is merely a cultural concept it’s
been taken out of hand and today we can
they make take a stand against it so in
the UK alone one hundred one thousand
and thirty seven girls have gone under
FGM so a statistic to me when I saw
actually took me aback if you take a
moment to think about it this could be
your mother your sister your neighbor or
even your auntie now when I told people
today I’m gonna be talking about FGM
people for a bit taken aback they were
like oh my la that’s a bit random but
the inspiration behind FGM has come from
my mother who was a great auntie nurse
if you can think of the most shocking
thing she’s probably treated it with her
eyes closed she’s absolutely fantastic
but from her own experience she’s
actually said that nothing has ever
affected her more or been more
heartbreaking than seeing a
fourteen-year-old girl cry when she
merely touches our arm tubes
stories like that actually inspired me
to stand here today another reason why I
want to help the girls that have been
silenced I have in their and I having
their innocence removed from them so how
do we combat as such a phenomena without
insulting or belittling other cultures
and other traditions well first of all
we recognize recognizing the symptoms of
girls that have gone under FGM or are
potential victims towards it is a key
part in the movement symptoms of girls
that have already gone under FGM include
difficulty walking or sitting or even
what running or even standing symptoms
of girls that are at potential threats
to female genital mutilation involves
sudden absences from school abrupt
holidays in which they’re preparing to
become a woman or preparing for a
marriage ceremony
um second of all conversation
conversation is so key in my life if you
ask any of my teachers any of my friends
I love to talk like a lot I believe that
when we talk about taboos subjects
subjects that no one wants to talk about
and we take uh sincere and humble
approach we solve the problems in our
universe but this only happens when we
when we step out of our comfort zone and
talk to people they’re not like us some
people aren’t from the same religion
same race same background in terms of
economics so how does this relate to
taking flight well much like the
functions of a plane each and every
single individual in society has their
role to play some of us are pilots some
of us are Co pilots
some of us are engines and others are
gears when we come together we form
something beautiful a planning which
helps our young girls today in order to
reach the futures that they want to
accomplish some of them want to be
doctors and we can be the ones to help
that so as young people what can we do
why are we the ones have to solve this
problem together well as young people we
are the innovators inspire us and the
creators of tomorrow I believe that as a
community when we come together when we
we must honor each other walking hand in
hand with our wings interlocks in order
to provide allies for our girls in the
future in order for them to become
better people and not
for them but for us too because when we
put our hearts and minds into it and we
become the plane that our society needs
I believe our society will emit
prosperity dignity rule of law justice
peace hope freedom equality and trust
thank you guys for listening I’m Lila
[Applause]
Lila the bravery just the bravery in
tackling a subject as I said that is
quite a difficult one we were talking
backstage and you know when I said to
you how long have you known about this
and you’ve said a couple of months I had
this little pang of guilt yeah I’ve
known about it longer and I haven’t do
anything what is it that inspired you
from hearing this from hearing stories
from your mom to say actually no we need
to do something about this what made you
change your kind of passion into action
well in terms of when I had to look at
myself first I’ve been fortunate enough
to have such great teachers such such a
great parents and they’ve shown me that
if you see something wrong you have to
take a stand towards it doesn’t matter
how little it doesn’t matter your age
wherever you come from those factors
don’t matter when you start to talk
about things when you want to take
action that’s when change begins so I’ve
been inspired by the people around me do
you know one thing I thought of when I
was listening to you is that revolutions
never start at the top they start with
one caring person just you they start
with you and I think that’s what you’ve
started a but there is one you talk
about your teachers and adults but there
is one special teacher we were talk
about before who I said to Lyla who
inspires you and what did you say
Shirin I said a Miss Blake she’s in the
crowd today miss Blake where are you
give it up for miss Blake well she’s
such an amazing piece
they she’s trying to get smaller and
smaller No we’ll have you tap-dancing
miss Blake
so what is it about miss Blake that
inspires you she’s such an incredible
woman I’ve only known her since
September really um some days I’ll come
into school and I’m like miss I don’t
want to do it
I hate sociology I can’t do it I’m the
worst and she’s always like no you can
do it you can do it some days I’m like
oh can’t you just say I can’t do
anything but from day one she’s always
believed in me and that’s something that
I’m so grateful for and I’m gonna miss
her when I leave six for Miss Blake
you’ll ask your legacy there that’s the
power of someone believing in you please
thank Lila Murph EMBO what a woman
[Applause]
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