Anyone who knows me can say with absolute certainty that I am extremely passionate about work. This work doesn't just include college work or part-time work. I mean rather the involvement in all kinds of projects that inspire me, that convey something specific to me: "we can create a change together". I've been like this for as long as I know myself. But I have not always been as passionate about feminism and the "empowerment" of young women. Of course, in theory we always had the positive ideas of supporting each other, but from theory to practice is a big step. In a way, I took this step subconsciously. I want to take this opportunity to share my story with you: my journey from ignorance, to curiosity, to activism, largely represented by the Her Time Romania project.

Growing up in Romanian society, a country in Eastern Europe, quite recently out of Communism, I learned certain toxic mentalities that I'm sure you have also identified with at some point in the past. Or maybe you still experience them in an internalized way, maybe I do too. Being whistled at on the street, for example, made me angry. Or knowing that some of the women in my life have been physically or verbally abused also makes me angry. On the other hand, the norm that claims that certain professional fields are dedicated to men did not impress me, nor did I question it enough. News that mostly discussed men in politics was also a normality. Now…”haters” might say that the news also featured women in fields like politics, sports, etc. Indeed... but that is not the point. Many Romanian young women's childhood memories include predominantly male figures in positions of power and here and there successful women who were not sexualized in a grotesque way. I also have to mention that when a famous woman is sexualized in the Romanian media, but then it comes out that she is involved in a case of domestic violence, for example..."she deserves it!" ? The same eyes that worship her body and undress her on screen for their own fantasies, scold her when she is in danger. I can't say that I fit into this extreme but normalized category. But we don't question the toxic and sexist mentality with which I was raised in Romanian society enough.

 After 16 years of living at home, I had the phenomenal opportunity to continue my high school education in China. The international and multicultural environment experienced during the 2 years exposed me to a series of diverse ideologies such as, you guessed it, feminism. Not being aware of the cause, not researching the true message of feminism and still being influenced by the toxic thinking acquired during the 16 years... the word I had associated with feminism was "hypocrisy". I wish I could tell you the reason, but I can't remember. Why? Because I was influenced by a multitude of factors that had blinded me to a false and unfounded attitude towards ideology. In fact, I actually prided myself on not being a feminist. I hate to admit these things, but I have to be honest with myself and with you. While I was trying my best to distance myself from feminism, millions of women and men were dealing with societal stigma directed at survivors of sexual abuse, domestic violence, dating harassment, among many others. My ignorance was a factor that perpetuated the lack of feminism in society despite the struggle of so many people, NGOs and campaigns who campaigned and continue to campaign for gender equality. Such a seemingly simple concept, but also so complicated (which we can talk about in another article).

In Shanghai with my mother, 2017

Together with a good friend from high school on the occasion of "Chinese Cultural Evening", 2017

       Little by little, I also moved away from the stigma associated with feminism, but it remained a substrate of ignorance. Once I got to college in the US, where my community is even more open, I stopped judging feminism through a lens of internalized sexism. A decided but subtle transition to curiosity ensued. In the fall of 2018, following her on Adriana Radu from Sex VS Stork, I "came across" a share from her feed. The post was about a new legislative initiative related to street harassment. The enthusiasm was instant. I could not imagine that such political activity would take place in Romania. Basically, one of the reasons I left was the toxic mindset. name Oana Bîzgan related to this initiative quickly appeared in my "search bar". We distributed promotional materials related to that law, I read the articles found on the subject and left a message to Oana. In the first instance, I asked a few questions about how this new law works. The response was quick and to the point. I continued to follow the activity of the independent deputy Oana Bîzgan in the following months. A little while after the initial message, I was looking for an internship opportunity. With a drop of courage and a lot of interest, I expressed my desire to work in Oana's team as a volunteer. In the winter of 2020, I had this experience, but I will tell you a little later because I omitted some details from the "timeline".

Living the "American dream" in Hollywood, 2019

       In the faculty I study Media, Communication and Chinese. What is the relevance of this information? I want to tell you a little about how I work in these fields and what are the personal values that I want to convey. My media work is mainly focused on visual and audio mediums: podcasts and short videos produced in college courses. The podcast I've been promoting for a year because I haven't had the opportunity to produce another is called "Whose Choice is My Choice?". It is a personal, political, religious and moral analysis of abortion and was produced in spring 2019 as a final project for a course. It took me a while to realize what I wanted to talk about, but what inspired me was that at the time, various potential laws were being debated that would have limited access to abortion for women in the US. It's a very unpleasant feeling that creates fear for women, and even incites violence at both the macro and micro levels. There are no women who want to go through such a traumatic procedure, but sometimes it is the only option, unfortunately (for a multitude of reasons that can and probably will be discussed in another article). I reflected on the abortion situation in Romania during Communism, I presented the personal stories of the women around me, I examined the situation in the USA and how religion intervenes in a negative or positive way in the discussion (you can discover more about this by listening to the podcast that is available on Spotify). The second project from the "something is happening, I recognize the value of feminism" list was the video "Lovely", also final project for another course. This time, we explored the situation of sexual abuse in the contemporary era of Romania. Celebrating 30 years since the fall of Communism, I wanted hope. However, I discovered the opposite. You can watch this short film on my personal portfolio website: here.

     The experience lived with Oana Bîzgan's team brought all my history together in a friendly, safe, inclusive and "empowering" space. A team of hard-working, intelligent, united women determined to create change. For the first time I felt that I was part of a community that understood me completely. It was a great inspiration for Her Time Romania, a kind of "this is it" contained by the feeling of comfort and tranquility felt. 

          Well, now you are aware of my journey with feminism to some extent. In order not to make my story even longer, I will start to tell you briefly what led me to create the Her Time Romania community. If I had to narrow it down to one word, that would be: "need". Our story can be summed up in this word. As many of you surely feel, I was not able to start this project with significant sponsorship, but rather with strong encouragement from the mentors around me. In the beginning it was the great idea: complex schemes and structures of a project that I simply could not afford either financially or in terms of time. And realistically speaking, the strategy wasn't quite right for the end goal. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to create a community of young leaders, passionate about different fields, determined to bring change and inspired by unity. When I took a necessary step back, I was able to make my dream a reality. Don't get me wrong, the original plan remains, but now it has become just one of Her Time Romania's long-term goals. 

A proud feminist, wearing a t-shirt with the message Her Time Romania, 2020

        At the moment, we "sum up" to a fabulous community of over 6,000 members through our social networks, to collaborations with Romanian and international feminist NGOs that have welcomed our initiative with open arms and supported us since the beginning, and to the development and learning opportunities we create for you every day. One of the most important things gained from this beginning of the road in the Her Time project is the team formed. We are 30 young women working together for other young women. The sense of community and mutual understanding of personal experiences exceeds any initial expectation. Shout Out to you, Her Time Romania's team! I am very proud of us and thank you for everything.

      There would be so much more to say, but we need material for more than one article. So you can be sure to hear from me again. Her Time story and my story in feminist activism has only just begun. I have the necessary time to grow with you and admire you growing in turn. I'm glad that through this I was able to tell you something about myself. I look forward to hearing your stories as well. You can find me on (almost) any known social network by searching for my name – Andreea Coscai. I am always eager to hear the stories of other young women and to work together for a more inclusive and just world for all. much love