TARLAC CITY, Tarlac—Bianca Mae Elpedes, TOBS 2021, and former Regional Scout Representative of Central Luzon Region delivered an inspirational message to the participants of the 2022 CLR Virtual Regional Scout Youth Forum on Tuesday.

Below is the full text of her speech provided by Elpedes.

“Little girls with dreams become women with vision”

This is one of my favorite quotes and for me, it is not just a statement, it is a motivation and inspiration. As a little girl who [has] always dreamt of inspiring other girls in a society led by men, I struggled to reach these dreams every step of the way.

A pleasant morning to everyone. I hope you are all doing well.

I’m delighted to be back from the place I used to call a ‘battleground of new ideas and narratives’. And I am even more delighted to see many young people, especially women who are participating in this year’s forum.

Let me tell you a story. There was this one young girl, a 14-year-old who joined a movement with whom she felt a strange feeling of familiarity and comfort in the Boy Scouts of the Philippines. She’s just a little girl with nothing but big dreams. One day, she was invited to join the Scout Youth Forum. She has no idea what she was about to see and experience. Her skills were not even in line with the activity.

She was scared. You can hear her heart beating so fast as she tries to explain their crew’s proposal—she thought, ”how could they trust a 7th-grade scout who is also a first-timer?”

It was hard to articulate her ideas, not because she can’t but because she’s in a place where only a few women succeeded. The little girl with a big heart braved everything. SHE CONQUERED!

She allowed herself to dream her way into a new reality. Though she wasn’t expecting more than that experience, she was given another opportunity to join higher levels of forums. Not so long after, she was elected as the scout representative of not only her council but also of her beloved region.

It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t easy. In her journey, she experienced a lot of judgment from other people who did not believe in her. She was told that she can’t do it. She was belittled. Again, SHE CONQUERED.

Years later, she became one of the inspirations for other girls. She found the right people to work with. She was supported, she was loved, she was acknowledged. They gave her confidence in her own abilities and never looked down on her. She reached greater heights, actually, she led a movement to reach greater heights.

She proved her critiques wrong. For her, they were not “her” critiques, they were bullies, sexists, misogynists, and hypocrites who call themselves advocates of gender equality and women empowerment.

That little girl became a woman of vision. That woman is speaking in front of you now. She is I and I AM YOU.

No one said that it was going to be easy. I am not saying that the change we want can be achieved in one day. I am not speaking here in front of you on my own. There are a number of women who inspired me, who showed me the way, who led my journey.

My mother, once a little girl, [is] now a woman who succeeds in realizing her dreams in a man-dominated world. A health professional, a military, who serves her nation—who inspires other girls that they can do it.

I have my ever-supportive friends who think alike, who want the same thing, an equal opportunity for women, and a world free from stereotypes, objectification, and bullying.

Now, I am one of the lucky ones who [have been] given a responsibility, no, I am one of the lucky women who have an opportunity to inspire other girls and lead the change. Stand for what is right, make policies that will benefit both genders, and advance women’s interests to achieve equality. And still, I am not alone in this. I have you. We have each other.

Now, it’s your turn, forum body. Whatever your gender may be, I call for everyone to unite and be together. Let’s work for our visions and be an inspiration to our future girls. Speak our mind, act on our dreams. One day, we will see a brighter future for our movement, and a safer space for all the girls and women.

Again, thank you and happy women’s month!

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