I believe a huge issue with today’s society is that young minds feel engaged and inspired by people that are pretty or attractive – physical beauty should not be a merit of excellence or an achievement.

Women that are powerful, logical, humble and hard working, to me, set the standard of what women should aspire to be.

Women like Angela Merkel, and the late great Benazir Bhutto, being the first female prime minister of an Islamic country is not short of the biggest deal ever. And not to forget here in Camden, we truly have some the best women advocating for change every day, Nadia Shah, Georgia Gould, Flick Rea, Claire-Louise Leyland, Sarah Hayward, just to name very few.

As far as Camden goes, it is fantastic to grow up as a young woman here. I truly love Camden, the culture is colourful, inviting and inspiring. As a young female Muslim, my reception in society is often polarized, but here I am just anyone else, and that is the way it should be.

Having a female leader of the council, Georgia Gould, who is so receptive and kind to us on the Camden Youth Council, has strongly ingrained into me that my circumstance of being female, is not a barricade, and I can do all I wish to do. As a young person, I am truly excited to enter adulthood in this borough; the opportunities available here in employment and volunteering are incredible.

Since my term on the youth council started, activism has become a way of life for me, and I couldn’t be any happier about it. Meeting with civilians on the same journey as me trying to advocate for change in the social structure of society or legislature is truly humbling.

I want to work further with these people all around me, corporates or volunteers, building foundations for the social justice movement to continue into its bright future of dominance. I’ve been lucky to have the platform I have had, it is my duty to use it to my advantage and share it with as many young females as willing as me.

Being involved in movements such as The Pink Protest, which advocates for free sanitary products for women from financially unstable backgrounds, being able to do a Ted Talk and other public speaking has come from avenues made available by youth parliament. I am positive more is to come and I am very ready for it.

Emmeline Pankhurst is a pioneering British hero. I can only dream to mirror a flicker of her greatness. Truly, I am nothing but thankful for her contributions and the determination of Mary Jane Clarke, Eva Gertrude Goulden and the women that set light the blaze that is the Suffragette movement. Many other women have continued the movement in a modern sense, dedicating their lives to the cause that is female empowerment through the Internet, protests and petitions.