Interview with Selin Özünaldım

M: Who do you consider to be your biggest inspiration?

S: This question is the hardest one I have to answer in every interview. It is very hard to only choose one but Michelle Obama, Lady Diana, Malala, Audrey Hepburn, Oprah… All of these wonderful women have played a huge role in my character development for sure.

M: Do you feel more judged or applauded by the people around you for your advocacy of women’s rights with the UN?

S: Both. I have never been judged in person, I think people who are around me support me but I get lots of hate comments and comments on the internet. I think it is much easier to judge and hate on someone over the internet, hide behind your screen and fake username. I feel sorry for people who are not open to learn and unlearn, who cannot accept that change is coming, that is already here, happening.

M: As a 17-year-old, do you feel that you are missing out on typical teenage experiences that other girls your age may have because of your busy schedule, working as an esteemed women’s rights advocate?

S: Yes, but it does not bother me. I think I have learned how to balance my work and my personal life but this is beyond me. People may see my work as “waste of your youth” but I am doing what I am doing not only for me, for all of us. Gender equality is beneficial for everyone. I think as youth, who have the vision and power, we can create a meaningful change and I don’t see why not to! 

M: Is there a specific moment that you recall noticing the disparities between women and men in your society? If so, tell us about it!

S: There were, for sure, so many times but I would like to share the moment when I have said “Okay, this has to be changed.” As a 17-year-old gender activist from Istanbul, my journey started two years ago when my 7-year-old brother once told me that I was lucky because I just simply could get married and I didn't have to work after.

That was probably the moment when I apprehended I was going to be, I had to be the voice of change. That was the moment when I realized the risk of this mindset created by the society. Such a stereotype that even could, and would, affect little child's thought structure. Deeply in my heart, I knew I had to do something. 

M: How has the coronavirus pandemic affected what you do? 

S: Two months ago, I became a member of the Young Leaders Task Force by Girl Rising as an intern where I got the chance to work with 27 changemaker young people from all around the world. Across the globe, classrooms are now silent. UNESCO estimates that more than 700 million girls are affected by school closures due to the pandemic, and a recent report estimates that 10 million girls are at risk of never returning to school due to gender inequities.  As Girl Rising, we have started a fundraising to support girls' education during the pandemic. Rising Together is a peer-to-peer campaign to support our partners in Guatemala and Kenya and the young people they serve to provide the resources, tools, and supplies needed to connect girls with educators, mentors, and educational materials. Another project we are very much proud of is our Storytelling Challenge where we have partnered up with HP Computers. In the last few months, the COVID19 pandemic has revealed deep-seated racial,  gender and economic inequities. The social impacts are being felt most deeply by people of color, women and girls who are already historically disadvantaged. At the same time, every day extraordinary people across the globe are courageously working towards equity, justice, and a better future. Now is an important time to listen and learn from each other. We want to highlight the powerful work that you are doing to create a more just and equal world. As Girl Rising,  we want to hear your stories and amplify your voice. 

M: What would you say is the most effective way to foster support for what you stand for?

S:To all the young people who want to spark change, always remember that one quote Meghan Markle said in her speech at the Girl Up Global Leadership Summit, “Keep challenging. Keep pushing, make them a little uncomfortable because, in that discomfort, we actually create conditions to re-imagine our standards, policies, and our leadership.” 

M: What’s the biggest issue/roadblock you have experienced in your path of activism? Did the fact that you were a woman living in Turkey have anything to do with it?

S: I think our generation is definitely more aware of what is going on around Turkey, around the world and we have a global look about controversial topics thanks to the internet. I have observed that Gen Z is very much ready to change things, we have many innovative ideas, we want to take action when we see a problem and we don’t really care about what millennials say, which could be beneficial, if you ask me, but unfortunately, feminism is still a taboo to the older generation. Gender based stereotypes, gender norms and roles are still playing a big part in people who are living on the East side of the country. I get judgement from people that I have never met on a daily basis telling me that I am breaking the traditions and being disrespectful to our culture. The older generation accuses me of breaking our traditions, not respecting the Turkish culture. 500 femicides happened in Turkey last year, this is only the recorded femicides. I don’t agree nor believe that this is the Turkish culture. I am following the steps of Turkey’s great leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. As youth, as young minds, it is our responsibility to carry his legacy, to make him proud. So yes, there are barriers, there are struggles but they are nowhere near to stop me, never. 

M: You are so young and have already accomplished so much, what advice would you give to people who also want to advocate but don’t know how to?

S: Be you, do you. Please, do not try to fit into a box. Do not feel afraid to speak up about things you think are true, the things that have to be changed. Be that person who changes it. I would like to insert HeForShe’s slogan here: If not me, then who? If not now, then when? I know it really is hard, people can be mean, they will criticize you that is for sure, people will judge you yes but always fight for what you believe in because the only thing that can stop you from achieving your goals is yourself. Make people uncomfortable, put them in a position where they have to start talking about these global issues that need global solutions. You can be, and you are, a changemaker who should share her/his opinion and advocate for your own truth. Always remember, you.are.worth.it. Period.

M: What next? What are some of your short term goals for 2021 and where do you want to be a year from now or anytime in the foreseeable future?

S:I have recently started a new initiative called Change-MaKRS with a friend of mine where our goal is to amplify the voices of changemakers from all around the world. I would like to share the news that I am very much excited to be a part of, I have partnered up with a new sustainable sweatshirt brand Slush Jobs to design a sweatshirt about implementing the Sustainable Development Goals to our daily lives. That is all I want to share, do not want to give too much detail and spoil the surprise, but stay tuned for that! 

I definitely want to pursue my work as an activist, even though people may think I am doing this for college applications or to look good, trust me, it wouldn't be worth it. This is my passion and I feel very blessed to find my purpose in life at such a young age. After getting my college degree, I want to get a masters degree and then hopefully, working with the United Nations. I could never stay at an office, sit in front of a desk and computer all day, no. I have to work on the field, be more on the forefront where I could truly reach and help people, who deserve a chance, who deserve a chance to follow their dreams, have a safe space where they could advocate for their own truths and opinions. Always remember what Socrates once said, “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”