Teen feminist’s goal for equality of resources

A misconception of feminism is that the movement seeks to “do away with men” but in its simplest form, the movement seeks equality for all, explains 17-year-old Sapphire Alexander.

“Feminism is about recognising the privileges we all have, in our own spaces, and working towards a society that is equitable for everyone,” she shared with Sunday Newsday.

The concept, she said, is that someone’s gender should not affect their ability to access the resources which are needed to excel in life.

For Alexander, her mission is to ensure that females of all backgrounds, especially teenager and young girls, understand the society that they exist in and motivate them to dream big.

“I think feminism is really opening spaces for us, in society, to have conversations that are difficult but also important to ensure everyone has equal opportunities and access to the best life possible.

“One thing I love about feminism is how diverse it is as a movement and how it represents everyone.”

A lower six student at St Augustine Girls’ High School, Alexander understands the importance of females being adequately represented, in all spheres of life, as she aspires to be a computer scientist.

Currently studying computer science and languages, she knows the computer science field is male dominated.

“Initially, as a young woman thinking about going into computer science, it can feel a little bit intimidating because you are going into spaces where you don’t see yourself represented.

“Something as simple as your gender should not negate how knowledgeable, powerful and capable you are to excel in these spaces.”

Alexander was part of a group which placed third in the 2018 Girls in ICT Hackathon.

With over 800 girls participating, from across several Caribbean islands, the day-long event saw Alexander and other participants challenged to solve social issues using information and communication technology (ICT) tools.

“For any girl who is interested in STEM, I would advise that you get involved in something like that (the Caribbean Hackathon).

“It really provides a platform for you to connect with other young women who are interested in the same field as you are, and it really validates you.”

As the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) becomes more inclusive, young girls should not feel intimidated to go into STEM fields, she said.

And it is because the world is increasingly focused on diversity, especially for minority groups, that Alexander created her feminism blog in 2018.

On her Instagram blog, called the Caribbean Feminist, she uses interviews and think pieces to raise awareness about issues such gender equality, women’s rights, period poverty, domestic violence, LGBTQIA+ rights, climate change and sex education.

“I felt there wasn’t really a space for young women like me to learn about social issues and form communities around these issues to find solutions.

“I decided to start Caribbean Feminist so I can create that space for young women my age.

“Through creating the blog, I have learnt about so many other amazing Caribbean feminists who are paving the way.”

Alexander has since had the opportunity to discuss women’s rights with President Paula-Mae Weekes and in 2019 she spoke on behalf of British High Commissioner Tim Stew, at the Government Campus Plaza, during the launch of a national campaign against street harassment.

In 2018, through a competition, Alexander was given the chance to act as the high commissioner for a day during which she spent time with Stew and staff at the high commission.

Alexander was also the keynote speaker at the 2018 Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business Girls in Leadership Conference and, in the same year, attended the Model United Nations in Washington DC.

“There is still a long way for TT to go to ensure basic human rights are upheld for marginalised groups and I do not believe we are doing enough to ensure that. Movements like feminism bring a spotlight to inequalities.

“For example, coming out of covid19 people should acknowledge that not everyone had the same access to resources and not everyone had a level playing field from the start.”

On feminism’s role in recent global issues such as the pandemic, and discussions on racial inequalities following the death of George Floyd in the US, Alexander said the movement’s goals are to create policies that ensure a fair standard of living for minority groups.

Inclusive and representative policies, she said, help equip minority groups with access to resources to face social issues in which their disparities often leave them most vulnerable.

Alexander said TT has a long way to go to move the needle on social issues such as equal opportunities and protection for those most vulnerable, including members of the LGBTQIA+ community and Venezuelan refugees who may fall prey to sex trafficking and sexual exploitation.

“Enough has not been done to ensure that members of the LGBTQIA+ community are afforded the rights that they deserve.”

Alexander warns that people should not discredit movement based on the extreme views of a few individuals and said men are encouraged to not only become an ally of the movement but also become feminists themselves.

She said while expressions like “dismantle the patriarchy” may sound as though society is being called to be “anti-men”, it is a call to action that can be helpful to men.

She emphasised that feminism seeks to educate men, especially those in privileged positions, to understand why systemic inequalities and biases in areas such as education, health and employment have been a disadvantage to women.

Another hope of the movement is to restructure what Alexander sees as an archaic definition of “manliness” which lead to men to commit or be indifferent to acts of domestic violence, sexual abuse and sexual harassment against women, minority groups such as the LGBTQIA+ community or even other men.

When men are empowered to rethink their indifference to acts of aggression against women, Alexander said they will be moved to help to stop these cycles and report cases of domestic violence and sexual abuses.

With such strong beliefs, Alexander said her family is a strong support system even though they may not always agree with every aspect of her activism.

“I think I have always been extremely privileged that my family has been fairly progressive in terms of encouraging me to inform my own views.

“A lot of my relaxing is centered around my family...whenever I am down or feel stressed, because it’s a lot of moving parts, they are there.”

Family dinners and movie nights are ways of this support, however, Alexander also cherishes quiet moments when she is by herself reading. Her current choices are: The Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger and Children of Blood and Bone by Nigerian-American novelist Tomi Adeyemi.

As she looks to classes when schools reopen in September, as stay-at-home measures continue to be lifted, Alexander is reflecting on her options for university. With an interest in international relations, she wants some aspects of the field incorporated in her computer science studies.

Alexander’s goal is to work with an NGO and the UN where her skills can be used to interpret data to understand social issues and help create policies that achieve equality of resources for all.

Anyone interested in learning more about Alexander’s work and her blog can find her on Instagram using the handle @caribbeanfeminist.