Yoshiko and 10-year-old Jayrose are a dynamic mother-daughter duo from the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), a country composed of more than 1,200 islands and islets in two parallel chains of coral atolls in the Pacific. Jayrose, or Mika, as she is known by her family, is a voracious reader, writer of stories and poetry, and, until recently, co-anchor of her own news show called Cupcake News with a Bite, which Yoshiko supported Mika and her older brother Jayson to put together as a way to share important family updates in a fun way on Facebook. Yoshiko, a well-educated and accomplished professional, having worked in leading development agencies in RMI, is doing her best to raise her children with her husband. Equality is one of the core values of their parenting. “I see how the girls are treated differently from the boys in my family, and I don’t want that for my children. Girls are not meant to do all the work and take care of things in the house while the boys just sit there. I don’t want that for either of my children” she says. Both her children are being brought up in an environment where they share responsibilities equally and are encouraged to be themselves. But no matter how hard parents try to create a safe, egalitarian, and non-judgmental space at home, the world outside can be harsh. Young Mika, in particular, faces intense bullying in school. So much so that Yoshiko and her husband are talking to the school about anti-bullying policies. The only time the bright-eyed and whip-smart Mika looks sad is when she talks about being bullied at school. “I face a lot of bullying in school. Other girls started bullying me in first grade. They usually pick on me, and my friend.” When asked what she wants for herself in the future, she says, “I really hope there’s no bullying, especially for girls. When I see my future, I see me being a lawyer. I see myself helping people help fight climate change.” Yoshiko, an outspoken feminist herself, “dreams of a future for Marshallese women and girls where they’re able to express themselves freely and know that you have choices and actions [and opportunities], and they are not hard to reach. I hope we get more Mikas’ in the Marshall Islands. This girlhood is very different from the girlhood in my generation. I hope each generation gets better.”
