I am a Cameroonian girl who wished to be a bus driver. For me that was always challenging to grow with gender stereotypes that we have.
But in 2005, when I first told that I want to be a bus driver in the class, I was really frustrated because all of my classmates thought that was a “man’s job” and even my teacher.
I thought my family would support me. However, they agreed with the others. It was sad but true that some jobs were considered as man’s jobs in my culture. Even though everyone was against me, I did not stop and I got my driver license. Unfortunately, I have got rejected by bus companies that I applied for a job.
That was when I started to wonder about other countries. I planned a trip to visit my cousin in Spain. In that trip I was fascinated by the things that I learned. My cousin told me about gender equality. Woman were doing all the jobs that they considered as mans and they were as successful as man. I went back to my country and told about that experience to my parents.
They were really surprised but from that day, I felt that their attitude was different in terms of supporting my dreams and I felt that if I am capable of changing my parents’ attitude, I am also capable of changing others’.
I have never given up believing in my and I know that big changes always starts with small steps.