• In recognition of the winning entries by eight Middle and Senior School Female Students who entered the BPS Short Essay Contest in Honour of International Women’s Day 2019, Bermuda Real will feature each of the winning submissions, with the essay by Katarina Rance – Bermuda High School
What Does Female Empowerment Mean to You?
When I close my eyes, I imagine the world years from now. I see women not walking down the streets worried that they might be raped. I see women’s’ clothing not being used as evidence in a rape trial. I see women being allowed to choose abortion. I see women having the equal pay to men. I see women’s’ necessities not being ranked as a luxury. I see women not being told that the kitchen is where they belong. I see a beautiful world, where everyone is equal. But I open my eyes and I see reality. It’s not good.
However, I think about the world one hundred years ago and I see how far we’ve come. I see women being engineers. I see women being CEOs. And I close my eyes again and I see myself doing a job that I love because of all the women who fought for our rights and empowered others to speak up. One hundred years ago, if I even thought about becoming anything other than a housewife, I would be mocked.
When you ask what female empowerment means to me, I’ll think about my Mom, my teachers, and my friends and I’ll say that it means enabling others to speak up. It means being there for  one another. It means fighting for our rights.
  • The eight Female Student #IWD2019 Short Essay Contest Winners Recognised were: Aaliyah Lee – The Berkeley Institute, Amirh Wade – The Berkeley Institute, Emilia Stowe – The Berkeley Institute (not pictured), Alexis Lodge – Bermuda High School, McKenzie-Kohl Tuckett – Warwick Academy (not pictured), Katarina Rance – Bermuda High School (not pictured), Kimora Waddell-Smith – Clearwater Middle School, Marley Brown – Bermuda Institute
  • There were 6 senior school winners (from The Berkeley Institute, Bermuda High School & Warwick Academy) and 2 middle school winners (from Clearwater Middle School & Bermuda Institute)
  • The young ladies met Commissioner of Police Stephen Corbishley and were given a behind the scenes look at the operation of the Bermuda Police Service by four women in positions of leadership within the organisation – Superintendent Na’imah Astwood, Inspector Tracy Burgess, Detective Inspector Derricka Burns & Detective Inspector Karema Flood
  • BPS thanks all students that entered – their essays showed great insight and a commitment to #BalanceforBetter!