Where would we be without the work of the women who paved the way? In the media, that often meant tolerating harassment, and fighting for intellectual respect (among other things). That has largely changed in democratic countries. However, the majority of “experts “, and “commentators or columnists” whose opinions we are offered daily is overwhelmingly male.
At CMG, one of the ways we try to help is by supporting talented young women writers/journalists like those who volunteer/work for a national online Ezine Shameless.
Art by JJ Steeves:
Piece by Skittlez Gunn, teen who writes for Shameless Magazine:
The importance of Shameless
By Skittlez Gunn
Shameless Magazine plays an incredibly important role in Canadian youth culture. It’s the only magazine in the country that focuses on teen feminism. It’s a space for young women to share their thoughts on current issues, their stories of surviving a male dominated world, a place to help educate other young girls to know both that they aren’t alone and that they can thrive in spite of the challenges they face.
For me Shameless has meant many things. It’s been my first opportunity to write the feature article in a magazine, and it was even more exciting because I wrote about something I’m extremely passionate about: girls and skateboarding.
The experience I’ve gained through writing for Shameless has been incredibly valuable. It’s a valued publishing credit and it’s given me the confidence to start querying higher level magazines. As a young woman who’s dreamed of writing for a living since I was eight years old, this is a very big deal.
But most of all, what I treasured most was the moment when somebody told me how much they loved my article. As a writer, that was one of the happiest moments of my life, and it never would have happened without Shameless and the wonderful women who run it.
Teenage feminists need a place to share their voices and there is no other place in this country.
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Carmel Smyth
National President
Canadian Medi aGuild
www.cmg.ca