On International Human Rights Day, we would like to share with you this hopeful text written and read by Chanceline Mevowanou, a Beninese feminist activist, at the Brisons le Silence festival organized last November by the Filactions association and the feminist exchange trip organized by Equipop.
It's a girl's dream. A girl from here, A girl from there, A girl from somewhere else, A girl from somewhere: One day, I will be free. One day, we will be free. Free, free together. One day, we will wake up less anxious, less stressed. We will finally be treated as dignified and sovereign individuals Who belong to themselves, Who speak for themselves. One day, we will have peace. The peace of living in our homes, Without fear or anxiety. The fear of being victimized. The fear of a comment. The fear of an inappropriate gesture. We will be able to move, eat, sleep Without having to be careful, Without having to put someone in their place. This is a girl's dream. A girl from here, A girl somewhere, A girl over there. One day, we will no longer have to worry On the street, at school, at work, About hands that touch us without consent, About unsolicited opinions. One day, the voices in our heads that whisper: “You may have brought this on yourself.”, “You’re not good enough.”, Will be silenced. One day, we will be our own allies, Our refuges. One day, we will have joy. The joy of wearing what we want, Dancing, moving, floating, Doing what we want with our bodies, our lives. One day, we will no longer be ignored. We will be seen. Heard. One day, we will no longer have to fight, resist, demand. Our humanity will no longer be questioned. One day, patriarchy, sexism, misogyny, homophobia... Will be forgotten. They will be consigned to the history books, And children will ask: "What was that?" One day, the streets will belong to those who laugh, To those who run without hiding, To those who dance without fear, To those who are free, whole, and complete. Our bodies will be celebrated, respected, loved. One day, the mountains will speak of our victories. The rivers will sing of our liberation. The forests, long silent witnesses, Will reach out their hands to applaud us. One day, the wind will carry our names. The stars will tell our stories. One day, we will walk together, hand in hand. Our voices will rise, Louder than all the silences imposed upon us. We will build bridges, paths, Where every woman will find her place, Where no one will be left behind. One day, we will find ourselves in unity, In joy, in peace, Where justice will reign, Where equality will flourish,
Our dreams will no longer be struggles, but realities.
Chanceline Mevowanou is a Beninese feminist activist and founder of Jeunes Filles Actrices de Développement (Young Women Actors for Development), a feminist organization based in Benin. A specialist in communication and project management, she is committed to the fight to eliminate gender-based violence and promote gender justice.
The Feminist Exchange Trip was organized as part of the Feminist Generations: Lyon and its metropolitan area, territories of equality, financially supported by the French Development Agency and the Fondation de France.
