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Breaking Barriers – Who Holds the Key – Life Stories 248

Аre you ready? Because today, we’re talking about a door. Behind this door is everything we dream of—freedom, equal opportunities, fair education, access to wealth. It’s the ultimate prize. But there’s a catch. The door isn’t wide open for everyone. In fact, the code that unlocks it depends on factors you can’t control—where you were born, who your parents are, your gender, your economic standing. If you’ve got the right combination, the door swings open with little effort. But if you don’t, you’ve got to throw everything you’ve got at it: your intelligence, charisma, time, and sheer grit. You might get in, but the door could slam shut right behind you, leaving those like you outside.

This isn’t just some abstract idea. This door has been real for centuries, and it’s our responsibility—yours, mine, all of us—to break it down, not just for ourselves but for each other and for those who come after us. We’re all part of this cycle, a system that rewards the few, leaving the many to fight tooth and nail for even a glimpse of what lies behind that door.

Take a look at history. In 2010, Julia Gillard became Australia’s first female Prime Minister. Think about that. Thirty-one prime ministers before her—thirty men, one woman, and zero people of color. This isn’t just an Australian phenomenon. Look at any country at any time in history, and you’ll see it—the door wide open for a select few, slammed shut for everyone else. Breaking it down doesn’t mean it stays open forever. Often, it closes again, tighter than before.

But here’s the thing: breaking down the door is more than just about getting through for yourself. It’s about holding it open for those who are following. It’s about making sure that the door doesn’t slam shut behind you. We have a duty, a responsibility, to create more spaces at the table, to widen the door so that it’s no longer a privilege reserved for the elite few.

Julia Gillard knew this firsthand. During her three years in office, she faced a barrage of sexist insults, particularly from the opposition leader, Tony Abbott. Despite enduring these attacks quietly, focusing on her work, there came a day when she had enough. On October 9, 2012, Julia stood up in Australia’s Parliament and delivered the now-iconic “misogyny speech.” For fifteen minutes, she tore Tony Abbott apart, calling out every sexist remark he’d ever made. That speech resonated across the world, giving countless women the courage to speak up and fight back. Yet, despite the empowerment her speech provided, Tony Abbott became Prime Minister after her, proving once again that breaking down the door doesn’t mean the battle is won. There will always be people trying to patch it up, to rebuild it stronger, making it harder for anyone else to pass through.

History teaches us that the first person through the door often faces the fiercest opposition. It doesn’t get easier after one person breaks through—sometimes, it gets even harder. Just look at Jackie Robinson. On April 15, 1947, he walked onto the field as the first Black player in Major League Baseball. The press hailed his signing as the end of racial segregation in the sport. But did you know Jackie wasn’t the first? Moses Fleetwood Walker had played in the majors 63 years earlier, in 1884. He broke down the door, but the door didn’t stay open. It took six decades before another Black player could follow him.

The truth is, breaking down the door once isn’t enough. Real change only happens when we keep pushing, keep fighting, and keep supporting one another. One person’s success doesn’t signal the end of the fight. If we rest too soon, the door will close once again, and the cycle will start all over.

Think about the women’s suffrage movement. It took over a century of protests, petitions, speeches, and marches before women in the United States earned the right to vote. Many of the women who fought for that right didn’t live to see it happen. They started chipping away at the door, knowing that it might take generations for it to fully open. And that’s what we have to do—keep pushing, keep fighting, even when it feels like progress is too slow, even when it seems like we’ve achieved victory. Complacency is our greatest enemy.

Whether it’s in your workplace, your community, or even your sports team, don’t just knock on the door. Don’t be satisfied with being let in. Hold it open. Keep it open. Help others to step through with you. This isn’t just about personal success—it’s about giving everyone a fair shot, ensuring that opportunity isn’t limited by birthright, gender, or wealth.

So what do you say, Alac sir? We’ve got a job to do. We’ve got doors to break down, not just for ourselves, but for those standing in line behind us. It’s time to get to work, and together, we can make sure the door stays open for everyone.

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