[Music]
while rehearsing for this talk a few
days ago someone who was watching among
the audience gave me feedback and said
something to me that made me reconsider
and he edits my hot offer today he told
me you appear to perfect which makes it
hard to take whatever you say seriously
and you appear too dominant which makes
it hard to relate to you Wow
are you the truth I was struck by his
honesty I was a little hurt but I was
actually happy I highly appreciated what
he said because it was eye-opening and
it had never crossed my mind before and
I started thinking to myself do people
really view me as perfect do they think
that I have a perfect life and do they
think I have any different and does my
steadiness and firmness come across as
threatening to others throughout my my
life I have been fighting two battles I
have been fighting conformity and I have
been fighting stereotypes I remember
when I was a little girl I was
mesmerised by my aunt she was my role
model I looked up to her and I tried to
mimic her every action I remember
sitting next to her as she prepared her
journalism assignments
I remember reading her articles and
listening to her radio shows and I
always knew that what I grew up I wanted
to be a journalist just like her as a
young girl I had a strong personality
and I thought that I want to become a
journalist because I want to speak up I
want to raise the bar I want to speak up
for those who cannot speak up for
themselves I want to save the
and even in school I never missed a
chance to get on stage and express
myself however when I graduated high
school and wanted to enroll in
university my family stood against my
choice of journalism they insisted it
was a tough job for a girl I was only 17
at the time I graduated high school at
the age of 17 I had no experience in
life whatsoever
I was overprotective I lived in a cocoon
we did not have the internet that kids
have these days so I was easily
influenced and I went along with her
advice because I figured they knew
better
so I majored in marketing instead and
took many jobs since I worked for a
major bank in Lebanon I worked as an
interpreter for a humanitarian NGO for
an international NGO I also took a
managerial role in a leading retail
brand I worked for several years for the
most highly acclaimed and recognized
international humanitarian organization
around the world and I advanced from one
position to another now I know that each
one of these jobs is a dream job to
anyone else
and despite doing well at his jobs
actually doing great at these jobs I
never felt satisfied because they were
dream jobs for others but not to me and
every time I chose to quit one of these
jobs I was faced with harsh criticism
from my family who never cease to
express their disappointment was my poor
choices in life with my poor judgment I
even gave up on a master’s scholarship
in Lebanon and I gave up on a student
exchange mobility program in Europe
at that stage in my life after reaching
a certain maturity level and
accumulating a certain experience I
decided I no longer wanted to live the
life that others want to live I want to
live the life that I want to live and I
could envision my future I could see
myself realizing my dreams and living my
passion so I decided that no one will
ever distort that again so I ignored all
the negativity I took media workshops
and I took public speaking training
until finally ten years later I got my
big break I took a leap of faith I quit
my cyst and fancy job at the time it’s
hard K and its perks and I started from
scratch I took a job in media as a
presenter and copywriter this is a
beauty pageant I presented recently it
will air soon on television the other
photo is from an award show I was
handing a trophy here I even started
training others and I started making a
name for myself and the business despite
only spending a very short period of
time because I had that much Asha but
come to think of it the people who
advised me who pushed me into taking the
safe and the correct choices in life
because I was a girl were lovingly but
unknowingly holding me back
bringing a 10 year delay to the start of
my career now you would think that the
pressure to conform would have stopped
there for me it’s not really today at my
current age and my current status I am
being pushed into a new for you for a
new chapter of conformity whenever I
express my big dreams of a big career to
someone they look at me and they say it
straight to my face you are unrealistic
you
and you’re naive you’re a woman you
should start thinking of starting a
family because in our society it is
either or a woman either has equal year
or she has a family we are limited and
we are restricted and this very exact
notion programs women into believing
that at a certain point of their lives
they’re gonna have to give up on their
dreams and on their passion because they
are woman and they should start a family
are not against that but why can’t we do
both in our society lumen who dare to
dream big are viewed as undesirable
they’re rebellious in our society women
who do not choose motherhood as a
priority are viewed as cold and
insensitive
although women over the years have
managed to prove their competence and
multitasking and they have been able to
successfully juggle between their career
their family while still looking good
doing so another battle I have been
fighting is stereotypes I have always
been an A student I have always had
strong views on controversial topics and
I always express myself I read a lot I
do a lot of research I believe in human
rights and women’s rights and children’s
rights I believe in animal rights I work
for so many years in the humanitarian
field I was in direct contact with
people in needs and persons of concern
and I always strive to put a smile on
their faces I even watched a
humanitarian startup with my start up
with my friends that aimed at supporting
underprivileged communities on the other
hand I worked in professional modeling I
took part in beauty pageants TV series
TV commercials
and despite my academic and humanitarian
achievements and despite my serious
demeanor
I am always underestimated and my
intelligence is always negotiated
because in our society I think this is
also worldwide not just in our society
it is either or a woman either has
beauty or she has brains never together
and I have always found myself in a
struggle trying to prove myself and to
prove that there is more to me than
meets the eye and women live a complex
reality where if they are beautiful they
are viewed as less smart so in order to
appear smart they have to sacrifice
their femininity and their looks then
again they are judged for not looking
beautiful it is the same society that
does not perceive interact as a premier
asset for a woman and women are in a
constant struggle to shed light on their
wholeness rather than just a fraction of
who they truly are my aim is to empower
women and young girls into believing
that they can push against society’s
categorization that they can excel and
shine in whatever field they choose for
themselves regardless of all the clutter
and opposition because after all people
destined for greatness are not
considered realistic by society
standards so it makes sense to you and
go ahead and follow whatever you set
your mind to
my aim is
to empower women and young girls into
believing that they can fight against
society stigmatization they can fight
the society that again and I insist on
emphasizing this that does not view
appearance and intelligence are not
mutually exclusive and I want all girls
and women to truly believe that they can
have it all going on through themselves
without feeling guilty for doing so
thank you [Applause]
while rehearsing for this talk a few
days ago someone who was watching among
the audience gave me feedback and said
something to me that made me reconsider
and he edits my hot offer today he told
me you appear to perfect which makes it
hard to take whatever you say seriously
and you appear too dominant which makes
it hard to relate to you Wow
are you the truth I was struck by his
honesty I was a little hurt but I was
actually happy I highly appreciated what
he said because it was eye-opening and
it had never crossed my mind before and
I started thinking to myself do people
really view me as perfect do they think
that I have a perfect life and do they
think I have any different and does my
steadiness and firmness come across as
threatening to others throughout my my
life I have been fighting two battles I
have been fighting conformity and I have
been fighting stereotypes I remember
when I was a little girl I was
mesmerised by my aunt she was my role
model I looked up to her and I tried to
mimic her every action I remember
sitting next to her as she prepared her
journalism assignments
I remember reading her articles and
listening to her radio shows and I
always knew that what I grew up I wanted
to be a journalist just like her as a
young girl I had a strong personality
and I thought that I want to become a
journalist because I want to speak up I
want to raise the bar I want to speak up
for those who cannot speak up for
themselves I want to save the
and even in school I never missed a
chance to get on stage and express
myself however when I graduated high
school and wanted to enroll in
university my family stood against my
choice of journalism they insisted it
was a tough job for a girl I was only 17
at the time I graduated high school at
the age of 17 I had no experience in
life whatsoever
I was overprotective I lived in a cocoon
we did not have the internet that kids
have these days so I was easily
influenced and I went along with her
advice because I figured they knew
better
so I majored in marketing instead and
took many jobs since I worked for a
major bank in Lebanon I worked as an
interpreter for a humanitarian NGO for
an international NGO I also took a
managerial role in a leading retail
brand I worked for several years for the
most highly acclaimed and recognized
international humanitarian organization
around the world and I advanced from one
position to another now I know that each
one of these jobs is a dream job to
anyone else
and despite doing well at his jobs
actually doing great at these jobs I
never felt satisfied because they were
dream jobs for others but not to me and
every time I chose to quit one of these
jobs I was faced with harsh criticism
from my family who never cease to
express their disappointment was my poor
choices in life with my poor judgment I
even gave up on a master’s scholarship
in Lebanon and I gave up on a student
exchange mobility program in Europe
at that stage in my life after reaching
a certain maturity level and
accumulating a certain experience I
decided I no longer wanted to live the
life that others want to live I want to
live the life that I want to live and I
could envision my future I could see
myself realizing my dreams and living my
passion so I decided that no one will
ever distort that again so I ignored all
the negativity I took media workshops
and I took public speaking training
until finally ten years later I got my
big break I took a leap of faith I quit
my cyst and fancy job at the time it’s
hard K and its perks and I started from
scratch I took a job in media as a
presenter and copywriter this is a
beauty pageant I presented recently it
will air soon on television the other
photo is from an award show I was
handing a trophy here I even started
training others and I started making a
name for myself and the business despite
only spending a very short period of
time because I had that much Asha but
come to think of it the people who
advised me who pushed me into taking the
safe and the correct choices in life
because I was a girl were lovingly but
unknowingly holding me back
bringing a 10 year delay to the start of
my career now you would think that the
pressure to conform would have stopped
there for me it’s not really today at my
current age and my current status I am
being pushed into a new for you for a
new chapter of conformity whenever I
express my big dreams of a big career to
someone they look at me and they say it
straight to my face you are unrealistic
you
and you’re naive you’re a woman you
should start thinking of starting a
family because in our society it is
either or a woman either has equal year
or she has a family we are limited and
we are restricted and this very exact
notion programs women into believing
that at a certain point of their lives
they’re gonna have to give up on their
dreams and on their passion because they
are woman and they should start a family
are not against that but why can’t we do
both in our society lumen who dare to
dream big are viewed as undesirable
they’re rebellious in our society women
who do not choose motherhood as a
priority are viewed as cold and
insensitive
although women over the years have
managed to prove their competence and
multitasking and they have been able to
successfully juggle between their career
their family while still looking good
doing so another battle I have been
fighting is stereotypes I have always
been an A student I have always had
strong views on controversial topics and
I always express myself I read a lot I
do a lot of research I believe in human
rights and women’s rights and children’s
rights I believe in animal rights I work
for so many years in the humanitarian
field I was in direct contact with
people in needs and persons of concern
and I always strive to put a smile on
their faces I even watched a
humanitarian startup with my start up
with my friends that aimed at supporting
underprivileged communities on the other
hand I worked in professional modeling I
took part in beauty pageants TV series
TV commercials
and despite my academic and humanitarian
achievements and despite my serious
demeanor
I am always underestimated and my
intelligence is always negotiated
because in our society I think this is
also worldwide not just in our society
it is either or a woman either has
beauty or she has brains never together
and I have always found myself in a
struggle trying to prove myself and to
prove that there is more to me than
meets the eye and women live a complex
reality where if they are beautiful they
are viewed as less smart so in order to
appear smart they have to sacrifice
their femininity and their looks then
again they are judged for not looking
beautiful it is the same society that
does not perceive interact as a premier
asset for a woman and women are in a
constant struggle to shed light on their
wholeness rather than just a fraction of
who they truly are my aim is to empower
women and young girls into believing
that they can push against society’s
categorization that they can excel and
shine in whatever field they choose for
themselves regardless of all the clutter
and opposition because after all people
destined for greatness are not
considered realistic by society
standards so it makes sense to you and
go ahead and follow whatever you set
your mind to
my aim is
to empower women and young girls into
believing that they can fight against
society stigmatization they can fight
the society that again and I insist on
emphasizing this that does not view
appearance and intelligence are not
mutually exclusive and I want all girls
and women to truly believe that they can
have it all going on through themselves
without feeling guilty for doing so
thank you [Applause]
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