16.Nov.2009 Role model of the week: Carmen Rodi

When we were younger there were our older sisters, Disney stars and fairytale princesses. But who do we look up to now that we’ve grown up? Eschewing the drugged-out celebrities and philandering politicians, each week we seek someone who inspires. The talented, the hard-working and the unconventional are put on display here, giving us all something to strive towards.

High school can be the hardest time for a woman of the Western world to be a feminist. Everyone is dealing with their burgeoning sexuality and general identity, and too often defining themselves by what they’re not, rather than what they are. There’s the struggle to put things into boxes, black and white, or place them up against the standardised outlines of characters seen on TV: stoner, jock, geek – you know the drill.

Over at Bust, 18-year-old Carmen Rodi demonstrates a self-possessed precocity, and a sage understanding of the issues surrounding feminism for young women today. She writes, “I’ve been a feminist since the eighth grade, when I first learned in history class about the limited number of women in politics. My resolve was only strengthened when I took up skateboarding that same year and experienced gender stereotypes fi rst-hand. (“Oh, cute, a girl trying to skateboard” was a classic comment.) As a high school freshman in 2005, I entered a world that was exactly like the Mean Girls cafeteria, where the words “slut” and “whore” were thrown around every day. Outside of school, the media sets unrealistic standards that are targeted toward girls, making me feel pressure to look like a stick-thin clone. As a teenager especially, I encounter these types of challenges every day, but as a feminist, dealing with them is that much easier.”