Our Purpose: Reclaiming Our Voice
Malala Yousafzai once said, “When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” This statement resonates with me because it demonstrates the mountainous potential for change that lies within every one of us, to do either good or bad. The year of 2020 has exemplified this declaration, although regrettably this year has also seen domestic violence cases rise across the globe. Unfortunately, there are many women who have no choice at the moment but to remain silent because of their abusive relationship. Sadly, their abusers’ voice is the one that is heard, and heard quite powerfully. I would like to help women reclaim that powerful voice and send out the message that we will no longer be silent.
If I had to describe myself or my purpose in life, I would say something along the lines of “I’m an altruist who wants to make the world a better place by challenging the status quo.” While it may seem somewhat cliché, I have always demonstrated my commitment to this mantra in my personal, professional and academic journey through various volunteer initiatives. Organizations with an emphasis on sexual and domestic violence prevention have been at the helm of my research and volunteer interests. After living through abusive relationships, most of which were facilitated through online dating sites and apps (which are seeing a large user increase during the 2020 pandemic), I gained an understanding of the importance in having a surrounding community of friends and family. I also recognized a gap in research and resources which is what ultimately led to the creation of A Better Match. The underpinnings of psychology and importance of relationship building have been imperative to my own personal development and I recognize the value in translating this universally in the Internet Dating world. Empirical based research will be a key component to the success of ABM.
No one could have predicted the current global situation we are in. To me, it exemplifies even further the importance of human connection outside the home and how often we may have taken simple freedoms for granted. The majority of my career, along with many of ABM’s board members, has been in the hospitality industry, where we are responsible for forging crucial connections. It has always been easy for us to identify the innate need for social interactions and a sense of community, but today, we are instead presented with an antisocial way of interacting. Dating apps are replacing chivalry; swiping is replacing dating; Netflix and Chill is replacing dinner dates; ghosting is replacing dumping; and superficial connections are replacing true, meaningful ones. While some might argue the convenience of having an overabundance of connections at your fingertips, I argue that, without the proper community education, online dating is an abuser’s playground.
A Better Match aims to educate our community on various personality disorders and their impact on relationship abuse in online dating. There is systemic change that is needed right now and all it takes is one powerful voice in a time of silence to make a change for good.
