At the height of tension, a small but mighty group of ten young women once led MIA’s activism by the reins.

Sharing their early mornings together, desks formed in a circle, and attention drawn, the dedicated assembly of students spent their time discussing the pressing issues which continue to smother our planet, time and time again. During the moments when the rest of the county watched silently with their noses in their chest, the feisty army of teenage girls stood prepared, eager to collaborate with surrounding organizations, and fight for justice.

The MIA Feminists continuously dedicated their time and effort into informing themselves on what has so often been overlooked by society. Through their ambition, the empowering group of young women honored students with both the confidence and leadership to make a much needed difference in the future of our world.

However, they haven’t made an appearance on our campus in five years. 

Girls Learn International, formerly dubbed the “MIA Feminist Club”, is an extracurricular program of the feminist majority, set on educating middle and high school students on the relevance of global issues in our world. Such topics include the imaginable – gender equality, human rights, and climate activism. Founded in 2003, GLI’s goals aim to empower young adults to advocate for a more diverse world, with equal opportunity.

The theoretical agenda of Girls Lead International includes attending planned events alongside the human rights curriculum, such as public council meetings and rallies, as well as volunteer work for various diverse organizations and causes. With an agenda similar to other popular student-run extracurriculars such as Key Club, who’s goals similarly relate to benefiting the public good by acts of service, it raises a question as to why the club remains not only dormant, but unheard of. 

The absence could be for a multitude of reasons. 

Like any other club, an advisor is necessary. Despite the label “student-run”, most extracurriculars require at least one staff member to actively sponsor a club and provide guidance in the terms of organizing events and fundraisers. Unfortunately, the former sponsor of MIA GLI, Ms. Blanco, no longer works at MIA. While student leadership opportunities do exist within GLI, without a sponsor, beginning a new chapter is not possible.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Alongside the struggle of obtaining a willing sponsor, the task of finding and maintaining a steady group of members can be just as difficult. This is especially true in the case of a politically motivated club – especially one labeled as feminist. 

It is no secret that feminism as an entirety has adopted a rather extremist reputation throughout history. The sheer concept of the movement has been stigmatized into a vengeful group of “man-hating riot-girls”,  whose only ambition is to bash those who disagree with their salty opinions. 

In the case of Girls Learn International, uneducated and ignorant misconceptions like these could not stray further from the truth.  

Extremism exists within all communities. While it can be difficult to separate excessive partisanship from a group’s general identity, it is a crucial step in understanding the mission and sentiment behind the feminist movement. GLI’s mission is not one of extremism, hatred, or violence. In fact, it is the opposite.

Driven by empowerment, GLI strives to create a new generation of activism powered by confidence and understanding, not misinformation and impulse. Even in a boiling pot of intolerance, the dynamic efforts of the young women representing MIA GLI did not go unnoticed. 

In the winter of 2017, at the peak of MIA GLI’s activism, the girls received an invitation to what would be one of the most significant, memorable accomplishments of the club’s time at MIA. Just weeks before winter break, the girls of MIA GLI received an invite sent directly from the Naples/Fort Myers National Organization of Women (NOW), to help celebrate the Naples Day of Change, marking the one-year countdown until the 2018 midterm elections.

This great honor did not mark the end of MIA GLI’s accomplishments. At the time, the girls raised over $450 through direct donations provided by professionals who held faith in the potential of the young activists. Nearly half of the donations were used to fund tickets to an exclusive brunch with the first Somali-American Representative of Minnesota,  Ilhan Omar. Besides the eager girls, those who attended the brunch included the Ft. Myers/Naples NOW, Democratic Women’s Club of Lee County, and Crowning Daughter for Success, to name a few. 

This memorable afternoon served as the beginning of a new chapter of activism in South-West Florida, as well for our generation. 

Chelsea Casabona, the voice responsible for the introduction of Feminist Club to MIA, explained her own purpose behind GLI, in her article “Following in Her Footsteps”, highlighting the club’s day with Representative Ilhan Omar. 

“I want the club to realize that GLI is a platform for their voices to be heard. When we were in Fort Myers, female leaders from all over Collier and Lee County were eager to connect with us and learn more about what we do. GLI – and feminism – matter.”