GIRLS CAN MAKE IT IN KOSOVË ALSO
Ilustration: Argjira Kukaj
Being a night person, my mornings are usually tiring and I can barely wake up. But, when I finally do wake up I try to begin my day on a positive note, especially on Mondays which is a day that predetermines the mood for the entire week. I try to sleep enough (for at least 5 hours) regardless of the tasks, responsibilities and obligations I have to accomplish within 24 hours. I find positivity in different things, sometimes it springs from within, but in order to remain positive, I believe one should stick to a goal and motivate themselves towards accomplishing it. If one morning we wake up and say “today I will accomplish nothing”, we indeed will not accomplish anything because we didn’t even try. Preferably, when we wake up, we shall think fast about our daily plans and proceed. Art is a crucial part of my support system. To me, art represents the warmest place, where I truly find myself. The moment I begin painting, sketching or writing, I set myself free from all the insecurities and preoccupations of the day. The moment my hand reaches a pencil and paper, instinctually I feel a deep inspiration and motivation to keep going. In my first year in medical school, I had to put art of all forms aside, I had no time to write or paint or perform in any show. This was all due to poor organization of my 24 hours. So I began to fuse my passion and profession into one. I started seeing art in my anatomy coursework, on which I worked with enthusiasm and utmost desire. I started finding ways and utilizing time to the fullest, in order to have more time for what I was passionate about. I believe, even though my phone battery lasted longer, I didn’t have to plug it in all day. Finally, I was simultaneously working on my profession and my biggest passion which was art.
Nevertheless, being a girl in Kosovo is difficult, starting from the families of most girls, in which they get discriminated against in different ways compared to boys. This is due to an active patriarchal system in many families and general society. This system withholds me too. When I began playing basketball, a lot of prejudice from the people around me began with it, claiming that “sport is not for girls” and proceeding with many discriminations in this society where you are treated differently only for being a girl.
This is why we need to speak up, we need to get a proper education and show that we can make it, and do not need to lean on anyone. We need to first empower ourselves, and then proceed with supporting one-another. One should have goals beyond a job that is sufficient to support a family. We should never give up, never get devastated, because if it doesn’t work out this time, it will eventually work out the next. A part of self-care is your progress as a person, following training and participating in different activities and debates, which help in the increase of self-confidence and decision making. If your week is too busy, then you can postpone these activities to the weekend. Only in this way can we break through society and show that we are powerful and equal to the rest.
About the author: Suhejla Mehmeti, 17 years old, from Lipjani, studies at the high school of medicine in Ferizaj.
This grant is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and Austrian Development Agency
