Jean hopes to level the playing field for youth so that they don’t get discouraged in speaking up on issues that concern them. Photos: JEAN VANEISHA RAVINDRAN
Today is International Women's Day, a day where the world unites to celebrate the achievements of women while pushing for greater equality, highlighting gaps in policy that continue to isolate women and keep them from enjoying equality at home, in the workplace and in society. StarLifestyle is highlighting the stories of young women who are stepping up and taking action for causes they believe in to make Malaysia a better and safe place for everyone
Jean Vaniesha Ravindran reckons that she was “the kid in school who was closer to her teachers than her peers” simply because even as a young girl, she was deeply interested in solving social issues.
“When I was very young I had this ridiculous idea that one day I’d be the president of the United States and solve all the problems of the world. Obviously I didn’t have a clear understanding of how things worked back then, ” she says, with a laugh. “I was born in Tawau, Sabah and moved to Central Kalimantan when I was one year old as my dad was in the oil palm and agriculture business. I grew up in estates, first in Kalimantan and later in Papua New Guinea where he was stationed, and I saw that there weren’t a lot of authority figures coming in to fix social issues.
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