Hi! I’m Annalise Mathers, and I am finishing my fourth year in Biomedical Science. I’m from Stouffville, Ontario, which is a small town north of Toronto and living in Ottawa for the past 4 years has really opened my eyes to our global our world really is. In my years here, I’ve had the opportunity to work and/or volunteer with many organizations on campus and in the city. I love global health, culture, travel, the gym and meeting new people. I’ve also been able to go to Peru and Tanzania through university programs, and these experiences (along with all the amazing friends I have made!) were definitely the highlight of my university life! In both Peru and Tanzania I was hugely aware of the issues women face in their daily living. Advocating for women’s access to healthcare is something I believe strongly in, and I had the opportunity in Peru to work alongside an obstetrician for maternal care that was sorely lacking in rural communities. In Tanzania, I helped African Wildlife and People in a project that involved building a boma (kind of like a corral) for the livestock belonging to the indigenous tribe the Maasai. The fence I helped to build was for a widow’s family consisting of about 20 or 30 people (her sons and daughters, and their spouses and children). This widow’s goats had been attacked by hyenas, and this boma was really essential to ensuring that the woman, her family, and their livestock could continue to survive. In the future, once I graduate, I want to continue to help individuals and communities like these to ensure that women – and all people! – have access to essential life needs.
The women’s issue that I feel most strongly about is women’s rights – especially with respect to street harassment. I watched a documentary about street harassment during the summer, and it really connected with me. After being here for a month last summer and personally experiencing some form of street harassment or unwanted comments/attention quite regularly, I realized how ridiculous it is that as a woman I have to be 100x more conscientious about simple things like going outside and what I am wearing. It’s a barrier to developing personal self-respect, feeling secure, and being comfortable in one’s own skin. I’m not sure how, but I would love to get involved in a project that works on breaking down these barriers and making every girl feel safe and fabulous everywhere, every time. Yet at the same time I love being a girl. I played every sport under the sun growing up, and I can attest to how much girls can take pride in being fit, both physically and mentally to make strides in their personal and professional life. I definitely recommend everyone to find some kind of physical activity that makes them feel great. Finally, I think that everyone’s confidence comes from within. It sounds cliché, but when you do what you love, and take the time to devote to yourself, that’s when you find inner happiness. Girls are the future. We have the power to do what we want and achieve anything. The time is now to be bold and beautiful!
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