By Eleanor Wilson
She may only be 11 years old, but St Margaret’s Berwick grammar student Kate is proof that gender equality activism is making its mark on younger generations.
The Year 5 student was recently announced as the national winner of the museum exhibit category of the National History Challenge, a research-based competition open to Australian students.
Kate also took out two state titles, for best Victorian museum exhibit and for the Grade 5/6 category.
The theme for this year’s challenge was ‘causes and consequences’, with Kate presenting a large exhibit on Pakistani female education activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai.
“When I started thinking about who I should use [for the challenge] I immediately knew it should be Malala because I’m very passionate about women’s education and equality,” Kate said.
“I first heard about [Malala] from my parents and then my Mum bought me a book about her. Now I have two books – one she wrote herself and another one I used for my research.”
Kate’s exhibition centres on ‘the key to freedom’ – a women’s gender sign with a fist punching out of it, symbolising Malala’s fight for freedom and education, she said.
“I made the gradient of the exhibit pink because most of the outfits Malala wears are pink,” Kate said.
“The exhibit has a timeline and different themes called ‘causes and consequences’, and information about what caused her shooting, and the consequences from the Taliban shooting.”
Yousafzai was shot by a Taliban gunman in 2012 as a result of her impassioned activism for women’s education rights in Pakistan.
Kate said she was surprised to hear about the rights of women in the South Asian nation, which hold’s the world’s second largest Muslim population.
“I thought we as a society had moved past that era of time, but in Pakistan they hadn’t, it was still women should be seen, not heard,” she said.
In the last six years, St Margaret’s Berwick Grammar has taken out the state division of the challenge every year, but this is the first time the school has celebrated a national winner.
“We’re really really proud of them. It doesn’t matter how they go, just for the children’s ability to meet a deadline and give it a go, we celebrate all success,” head of junior school Louise Sayar said.
Kate herself is no stranger to the challenge, taking out the state division two times in a row.
“Last year I was very excited because this is something I’ve never done before,” she said.
“This year when I found out I won state, I was just as excited as last year because I had accomplished that again.
“When I won nationals, my excitement just went up so much.”
Next month Kate will travel to Canberra, where she will be presented with her award by Education Minister Jason Clare at the National Presentation Ceremony.
But when it comes to what Malala – a woman who has inspired so much positive change for young girls – would think of a young female student’s success, Kate hopes she would be proud.
“I think she would be very proud of me, that at my age I’m trying to spread the word around and her fight and try to stand up for what’s right,” Kate said.
