Raising my voice for justice and gender equality

I feel a sense of injustice for my mother. She was just a girl when she married my father, a much older man. When he died she was left to support me and my siblings, but it was very hard for her without an education or job prospects. I see it happening to too many women in Ghana.

I went to live with foster parents so I could stay in school. It was really hard leaving home and getting used to life with a different family. Even with their help, staying in school was difficult. I had to wake up at 4am to do my chores before walking an hour and a half to school.

I loved school. I wanted to do everything. I was active in lots of societies, and even set up a New Presenters Club in collaboration with Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, and a Spoken Word Poetry Club. I was made a school prefect and enjoyed taking on a leadership role.

I never give up. I think my determination has helped me a lot. No matter the financial problems that I have, no matter the situations I find myself in, no matter how difficult it is, I keep fighting until I win.

Reading Law is like a weapon for me. I use it to fight against discrimination. When I was younger I didn’t have a chance to voice my opinions, but now I’m not going to be quiet!

Girls and women face a lot of discrimination. There are so many vulnerable girls whose voices are not heard. They are denied justice because they have no money and no platform. I want to use my voice not just for myself, but for all of them.

Being a CAMFED Association (CAMA) member has opened so many doors for me. It has built up my leadership skills, given me the confidence to be an advocate and make impact. I wouldn’t have been able to achieve so much without support from the Mastercard Foundation and CAMFED.

In ten years time, I see myself standing in front of a crowd. I will be speaking to thousands of people, making an impact on a lot of lives, and imparting knowledge that I have gained. I want to share the message that there are opportunities for success no matter how difficult the situation.

I enjoy appearing on television and radio. I have already done some interviews in Ghana. I hope I’ll be able to travel to new places and share my stories all over the world.

Rosalinda is one of the young women leaders of the CAMFED Association — mentors, role models and activists for girls’ education and women’s empowerment across sub-Saharan Africa. Read more about Rosalinda here. If you believe in the work CAMFED’s change makers are doing, join us by igniting change.

Me speaking at a Mastercard Foundation Leadership & Enrichment Camp (Photo: Eliza Powell/Camfed)