‘I am learning what we can do to help make things better for women and girls everywhere’

My name is Grace; I am nine years old

I believe that girls are at least as smart as boys (actually, I think that sometimes they are smarter but we won’t tell my little brothers that)!

I have learnt a lot of things about girls and women all over the world since I joined Ladybirds when I was just five years old. Since then I have moved up to Brownies and am learning more and more about change in the world and what we can do to help make things better for women and girls everywhere.

I do not know yet exactly what I what to be when I grow up but I met a very important person when I was just 10 months old: her name was Mary Robinson. She was the first female president of Ireland and she also became a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. She now is working on important issues about climate change. In case you do not know we need to reduce, reuse and recycle and do so much more.

I think children should be able to vote but I am not sure what age would be best. Maybe about nine?  

I am not sure if I will be the third female president of Ireland, or maybe the first Taoiseach or maybe a female builder, electrician carpenter or plumber or any other job that women don’t usually do. I may even do something out of this world, like be an astronaut.

I think girls and women should be allowed to be the best that they can be, whatever they like and whatever they are good at. I hope whatever I decide I will be happy.

This is a picture of myself and former President Mary Robinson; I have changed a lot since then.

~ Grace Keane, Merlin Woods Brownies