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Goodafternoon,ladiesandgentlemen,Ithinkthisisaperfectsettingformyspeechtoday,becausewehaveamirrorrighthere.Andthisisthetopic,themirrorandI.Iliketolookintothemirror.WhenIwasalittlegirl,Ioftenstoodonmytoes,tryingtofindmyfaceinthemirrorofthedressingtable,whichwasnearlyashighasIwas.NowIstillliketolookintothemirror.WhenIlookedatit,Ifoundthefaceofayoungwoman,glowingwithmaturity,confidentinherfutureandstillfascinatedwithherownreflection.ThefactIliketolookintothemirrorhastodowithmygranny,withwhomIspentmostofmychildhood.Irememberclearlythatonenight,Iheardhermemoryingwomencan’tbeseen.Womencan’tbeseen.IwassoconfusedasIlookedintothemirrorthenextmorningtocheckifIcouldindeedseemyself.OnlynowasayoungwomanmyselfcanIunderstanditwasnotphysicalvisibilitythatgrannyhadinhermind.Grannyspentallherlifetakingcareofthefamily,day-inandday-out.Shecookedforherhusbandandtenchildren,butweneverguesssheandotherfemalefamilymembershadtoeatbythestoveinthesmallkitchen.Atfamilydiscussions,shewasneveraskedforheropinion.Whengrandpapassedaway,shehadtolistentomyuncle,herelderson,whobecamemasterofthehouse.Thoughyearsoftoil,shefulfilledherdutyasdaughter,wife,andmother,yetasaperson,sheremainedlittlenoticed.Ifshehadseenherselfinthemirrorofthedressingtable,shewasnevervisibleinthemirrorofsociety.Ihavebeenlivingadifferentlife.Athome,Imadedecisionstogetherwiththerestofthefamily;inschool,Itakechargeofvariousactivities,thesameasotherboysandgirls.Notonlythat,Icanseesomethingthatgrannycouldnothavedreamedof,makingdecisionsformyownfuture.IcouldchoosefromseveralcompetitiveuniversitiesasIcameoutofhighschool.Atuniversity,Icouldchoosefromarangeofsubject,changingfromEnglishliteraturetobusinesslaw.Andupongraduation,I’magainfacedwithseriesofdecisions,tofurthermystudyortogotowork;tostayinChinaortogoabroad;togetmarriedrightaway,ortoremainsingleforabitlonger.ItdoesnotmatterwhetherornotIwillbecomefamousorrich.ButIwilltreasurethechancetodemonstratemypotentialsintohelpotherwomendemonstratetheirsasfullmemberofthesociety,fullyvisibleinthemirrorofhistory.IwilltreasureitbecausetheabundanceofmychoicethatIenjoycanonlyafterdecadesofeffortsmadebymygranny,mymom,andmillionsofotherChinesewomen.However,thechoicetobemadebymeandtheothersofmygenerationisagreatchallenge.Themisconceptionthatmenaresuperiortowomenisstilldominatingmanypeople’smind.Whileremainingcouragetocompeteuntilcertainthemselves,weareexpectedtobequiet,loyalandobedient.Thisisnotverydifferentfromwhatisexpectedofusasgoodwifeandgoodmothers.Thestoryofmygrandmotherandmyself,mirrorsthelivesofmillionsofotherwomeninChinaandperhapsintheworld.Manyofthemstilllivethelifeofmygrandmother,theirworthisnotyetrecognized.Itisthentheresponsibilityofayoungwomanlikemetostudyhardandworkhard,sothetwowillseethemselves,andwe’llbeseeninthemirrorofthesociety.Thisismydream.ThisdreamIbelieveisnotonlysharedbymanyofourgrandmothers,mothersandsisters,butalsobymanyofourfathers,brothers,husbandsandmalecolleagues.Itwillnotcometrueuntileveryonefullyrealizesthatwomencancontributetothesocietyandshouldbeguaranteedtherightto.Womenholdhalfthesky.Thankyou.