by Luz Maria Martinez

I think our problems are rooted in education and the media", says Reshma Pattni, 12-year old editorial board member of the New Moon, a publication based in the U.S.A. for young girls I written by young girls.

"T.V. tells girls that they have to be skinny and that they have to be beautiful. They are always saying that you have to wear make-up and look nice and everything. That the whole reason why you are here is to make boys like you.

"I just don't think so. I don't think girls should have to live up to men's and boys' expectations. I think they should be able to be their own person, whomever they like to be and not what other people want them to be. It should not really matter if you are skinny or fat or ugly."

At the Women's World Conference in Beijing, Reshma, surrounded by feminists, contemplates the meaning of feminism for herself. "In some things I am and in some things I'm sort of iffy about feminism. You can perhaps consider me a feminist when I feel really strong about something and have to say what I'm thinking. A feminist is a woman or a man who is concerned about women's rights and is concerned about girls and how they are growing up to be. A feminist really gets in there and does not only say we really have to change this and that and then put it out of her mind. A feminist goes and does something about it. That is what I consider a feminist."

Reshma, a 6th grader of Indian and Croatian descent looked around in Beijing and with eyes gleaming with enthusiasim, said: "I'm glad we girls had a chance to come now and that we are getting heard, because in 10 years we will be the leaders and well have to know about these issues."