I’m passionate about preventing avoidable blindness. In developing countries, losing one’s sight can have devastating effects on one’s life. Children drop out of school, adults find it difficult to earn a livelihood, and families fall into poverty.

Inequalities based on gender discrimination are what concern me most but inspire me to take action. Women and girls are at more risk of avoidable blindness. Their traditional gender roles and everyday responsibilities not only expose them to blindness-causing bacteria but also prevent them from accessing eye care in time. With poor vision, they become more dependent on their families or other male figures and lose their ability to make their own decisions regarding their education, employment, income, and even property rights. A vicious cycle of poverty and patriarchy begins for them and is difficult to break.

Working with Operation Eyesight, I contribute to educating young women from underserved communities on eye health. Community health workers and volunteers work with Operation Eyesight to inform others in their villages of the importance of caring for their eyes and help them to access quality eye care services.

Some of those who encourage me to make a difference are my colleagues at the Asian University for Women, where I was a Bachelor of Arts student. Women’s rights and social justice are common topics of conversation in our community. They provide me with new perspectives about my role and rights as a woman and motivate me to take actions towards making positive changes in my life and the lives of others.

My alma mater also gives me platforms to share my experiences. In 2015, I was invited to speak in London alongside Mrs. Cherie Blair, the former First Lady of the United Kingdom, on the challenges facing women’s education and empowerment. In 2019, I attended Faces of Change, a gala where I was interviewed alongside Ms. Guneet Monga, an Oscar-winning film producer. At both events, I spoke about how quality education impacted my life and gave me the knowledge and strength to challenge the oppressive norms I experienced along with other women and girls in many parts of Asia.

To me, partnership and collaboration are the means to make the best possible contributions towards positive and sustainable change. Everything becomes better when individuals from various backgrounds and cultures work in unison towards a common goal with a people-centered approach at heart.