One of Our Content Creators
She / Her | Alberta, Canada
“Literally no one cares.”
“Do you ever stop talking?”
“Why are you so obsessed with all that dumb activism stuff, anyway?”
None of the people in my life care about what I have to say. For years now, I’ve been completely infatuated with learning about feminism and gender inequality. I’ve been reading books and news articles, watching documentaries, and listening to podcasts about it at practically every spare moment I have. I’m doing my best to educate myself about everything from income disparities between men and women to the lack of access to quality education that many women have in developing nations. I think these issues need to be talked about more often and for more awareness to be spread about them. And I’d love to talk more about it with my friends and family members, but none of them ever seem to want to listen to me. I keep getting shut down.
But I want, more than anything, to express my opinions and ideas to the people around me. I want my voice to be heard without getting ignored or tuned out and to advocate for people who can’t speak for themselves. I tried starting a blog, where I wrote about the many injustices that women face around the world but was met with lots of nasty remarks in the comment section. I tried to make an Instagram account as well, but the same thing happened. I needed to find some outlet where I could express my ideas and opinions.
Then, as I was scrolling through my Explore page on Instagram, I found a post by Canada Confesses promoting their Voices of Canada platform. I soon discovered it is an online space created by marginalized folks for marginalized folks. People from vibrant and diverse communities are encouraged to express themselves through art, poetry, stories, articles, essays, podcasts, music and many other creative mediums. I found it was the perfect place for me and other marginalized Canadians to share their dreams, hopes, frustrations, passions, advocacy work, and document their journey to empowerment. Voices of Canada is a platform for everyone to safely voice their thoughts, opinions, and beliefs without receiving hate or being shut down.
I uploaded some of my blog articles on Voices of Canada, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like my voice was actually being heard. The supportive comments and productive discussion my articles sparked inspired me to keep creating and learning. Browsing through their blog and gallery and seeing all the submissions from people who share the same drive as me was exhilarating. Finally, I realized: My voice is one of the many voices of Canada, and I have a right to be heard. I found an outlet to express myself, and this time I wasn’t shut down; I was let in and permitted to open up.