Inspiring the next generation: ‘Girls get to speak their piece’

The purpose of the public speaking competition organised by Soroptimist International “is to give girls an opportunity to speak their piece”, Mary Wynne, president, Mullingar and District, told the Westmeath Examiner at the regional final last week.

“It is for girls to give their thoughts, put their thoughts on paper and be able to deliver them in an articulate, gentle, but direct way to an audience in public, to benefit them in boosting their confidence and capability to speak in public.”

Ms Wynne was speaking after the Midlands and East Regional Final of the 44th Annual Girls Public Speaking Competition, which was in the Mullingar Park Hotel on Saturday week last, February 1.

She explained that the event involves girls aged 15-17, in transition year or fifth year. “It’s a forum to give them an opportunity to speak in public on a topic that is given to them in advance, which they can prepare.

“There are local heats, which we ran in November; in February, we have the regional heats, and in April, we have a national final, in Castlebar this year. We have then a winner from the south of Ireland, and we also have a winner from the north of Ireland, and later in the year, they speak at the national Soroptimist conference, which alternates between the south of Ireland and Northern Ireland.”

Some of the speakers told the Westmeath Examiner about their speeches.

Sarah Aberg said: “My speech is about the power of sisterhood and how sisterhood is the thing that unites all of us together. It’s really referencing how sisterhood has impacted my life and how my sister’s influence upon me has really just changed me for the better, and has shown me I’m strong enough and I can do anything.

“Like today I came here and I won, which really, I did not expect that, and, she has encouraged me so much to put myself out there and be confident, but also how we can be sisters to everyone else. We can do small things in our own lives to help everyone around us.”

Sandsiwe O’Khupe said her speech was about “partnership and empowerment of women”.

“It was like talking about women in general and how if women, if we uplift women, it uplifts the whole community, and how we need to empower women more in society in general.”

Aoibhinn Hanley (reserve winner) said: “My speech was about people fearing what they don’t understand, and how if we all can embrace our curiosity and our empathy, we can dismantle barriers that divide us.

"I asked my sisters what they were afraid of. I started asking them why. And when they didn’t understand themselves, I then understood more about my speech and why fear is just something we don’t understand, really.”

Speakers from Athlone, Dublin, and Drogheda, as well as the Mullingar are competed in the Midlands and East Regional Final for a place in the national final. Contestants presented prepared speeches and also delivered impromptu speeches with only two minutes to prepare.

Going forward to the National Final in Castlebar on April 5 are: Sandsiwe O’Khupe, St Aidan’s Community School, Tallaght Dublin 24; Sarah Aberg, Coláiste Pobail Setanta, Clonee Dublin 15; the reserve is Aoibhinn Hanley, St Joseph’s Secondary School, Rochfortbridge.

Anne O’Sullivan, National President, stated: “This competition is an invaluable opportunity for young women to gain skills that will stay with them for a lifetime, building skills for leadership, advocacy, and public life. These girls represent the best of Ireland’s future.”

She offered special thanks to SCF Global Campus, “whose sponsorship makes this empowering journey possible”.