Author: Tamir Onon

As a Woman-of-Colour and an International Student, I, Tamir Onon, have always been aware of the “placeholders” for me to fill. While I was born in Ashikaga, Japan, and am currently residing in Singapore, I clutch a Mongolian passport. Amongst my myriad of identities, a common denominator would be that I had been brought up to believe that opportunities were available for me to grab, regardless of my gender. I sat comfortably in my shell, surrounded by the strong women who aimed to shelter me from the numerous prejudices the world had to offer. What they did not realise was that I grew up with an unsettling lump in the back of my throat, first erupting when I watched facades of acceptance as equals be antithetically juxtaposed with vulgar ideologies, such as viewing women as “discardable objects''. I watched women forcefully delineating their actions, so as to not be ostracised into losing their jobs. So hear my astonishment when I chanced upon the same Cause approached by those of another gender, who did not receive the same magnitude of the Effect women had (throughout history might I add). Such ample reminders did not sit right with me. At 17 years of age, transitioning from teenagehood to adulthood is bringing me to comprehend that inequality and discrimination can only be debilitated (and hopefully eradicated) through active plumbing and participation. I aim to write with zeal in the hopes that one day, a stalemate between all genders can be reached.