To kick off the Women Deliver 2019 Conference in Vancouver, Canada, Girls’ Globe & Say It Forward co-hosted The Power of Your Story: a Guide for Advocates. Our interactive session brought together advocates and storytellers from around the world to demonstrate just how powerful stories can be.
To begin – a panel, moderated by Girls’ Globe blogger Sanne Thijssen. We heard moving personal stories from Alaa Al-Eryani, who talked about her experience of marriage and divorce as a young woman in Yemen, and from Paula Espinosa Valarezo, who described herself as a ‘legacy advocate’ thanks to the powerful women who came before her.
Blessing Timidi, an SRHR advocate from Nigeria, took to the stage to explain how her story influences and strengthens her advoacy. She told us: “your story is never stagnant. Stories evolve all the time.”
Julia Wiklander, Girls’ Globe’s Founder & President reminded us why it is so important to share your story, and went on to share her advice on building the confidence you need to do so.
Next up were some practical tips from Girls’ Globe Editor-in-Chief Eleanor on writing your story down. Here are her top 5:
– Keep your inner critic in check
– Choose your publishing platform wisely
– Keep a journal
– Be personal
– Read as much and as widely as you can
Finally, Emmy Award winning filmmaker Elisa Gambino shared loads of advice for filming your story:
1. Hold your phone steady
2. Decide if you want to look directly at the camera
3. Don’t fight the light
4. Invest in a small microphone
5. Don’t give too much or too little headspace
Strengthening the ways you communicate your vision, skills and experiences can inspire others to invest in your work locally, nationally or internationally. Your personal narrative can be as compelling as your advocacy message.
Your power is in your story.
Join the conversation with #ThePowerOfYourStory.
