Episode Transcript
Hello, my name is Aziz and I'm the son of a divorced mother. She is really my superhero.
That's why it's important for me to support women to share their uniqueness, their personalities,
perspectives, and emotions about this world. In these difficult times in human history,
we need to bring the people of the world together. And when we hear the voices of women, when
we listen to real lives of women from other countries, we connect our cultures without
differences or stereotypes and we get inspired by their stories to live a better life. That's
what this podcast is all about. My guest today is Irada Gadirova. Irada is a Ukrainian girl
and a student of public administration at the city of Kharkiv. Irada is a representative
of student self-government at her faculty and also a member of youth public organizations.
She likes to engage in community activities and volunteering. Irada prefers Ukrainian
literature as well as American detectives. She loves dancing, playing the piano, and
Western music. Irada, how are you today? Thank you. I'm fine and I was looking for
our meeting and I really am so impressed by words about your mother. You know, sometimes
men think it's so cringy to say something nice about mother or in general about women,
but I believe that the strength of person is that he can be inspired by someone.
Thank you. You're absolutely so kind and I'm very curious about you as well as a person,
so I want to know more and I will begin with this nice first question, which is if your
friends, the people who know you best, could describe your personality, what would they
say about you? My friends would say, I'm sure they would say that I'm gregarious, I'm
straightforward, I'm intelligent, but then I think that I'm silly and they always say
me that I'm a productive person, but I don't think so and I think that my problem is my
procrastination. And you know, I think that procrastination is our common issue with many
people because during the coronavirus period we started to postpone everything for later
and as a result we got used to it and now it's difficult to return to the system where
you lived today and you flew all days with different pleasure motions, you could visit
your relatives without problems because now it's really hard. I agree 100% and I know
you have gone through such difficult situations, so many things like that and we will speak
about it a bit later, but first stay in focus about you and yes, like you said, procrastination
is for most humanity a very big problem. What motivates you to be so involved in so many
activities and volunteering work? What is the reason for you? I think that the best
motivation for me is my past because I suffered a lot of struggles on my way, a lot of difficulties
and when I was a child I was absolutely definitely secluded, unconfident and insecurities and
it was a problem for me and now I want to change myself, I want to be the best version
of myself and I challenge myself every day, I push myself, push myself and I get new skills
and I develop myself. That's really, really interesting and to understand you more because
you said other people think and say, oh my god, you're so productive, but you think you
have procrastination. Is it because they imagine that you're a superwoman who's always productive
and don't understand it or are you even with your procrastination more productive than
most people, so people are even more procrastinating than you? What's your opinion? Oh my gosh,
it's a really interesting question. I don't know. I like alternatives, what you said,
and I think procrastination is my problem and really I postpone some things for future
times but I do my best. I really, I try. I study a lot and I don't think that I'm a
wonder woman or something like that, but I try. I develop myself and I get new skills,
I learn new languages, et cetera, and I think it will help me in my future because I want
to be a politician and I can't be so unconfident, so shy and sometimes I think that I have two
sides of myself and one side is positive and one side is negative and sometimes a negative
side says to me, Irada, what's going on? What are you doing? You're crazy. You don't deserve
it. And the positive side says to me every day, Irada, you've accomplished so much, you're
talented and if you want to be a politician, you can't be so shy. For example, if I was
really afraid of looking to the people's eyes, but now I decided that no, I need looking
in the people's eyes because it makes me better. It makes me stronger than I was.
I really, really adore this attitude. I agree with you very much and you're always developing,
but also I'm curious, why do you want to be a politician and what inspired this desire?
Are you a little girl? You saw some politicians that you thought they're so confident and
they have so much ability to help people or is it because you thought if I want to develop
my country, that is a very important way to do it or how did this desire and goal begin?
You know, I am an independent person inside and I think my parents had a hard time with
me as a child because I always had my own thoughts, my own opinions and beliefs that
no one, no one could destroy. And I consider it a huge strength when you're independent
and you don't succumb to someone's spells or something like that. And independent people
are difficult to manage. So maybe this is the reason why Ukrainians cannot be conquered
by someone. And you know, after the occupation of territories in my country in 2014, I clearly
understood that I love my country and I'm proud to be Ukrainian. And afterwards, I decided
to be a politician or public figure and to help my country. I wanted to help my country.
And when I watched the news, as the last train was going from Kiev to Crimea, my heart was
really broken and I was very disappointed, but my patriotism grew even more. And on February
24, when Russian terrorists entered the territory of my country, especially of the Kharkiv region,
I was ready. I was ready for it.
I know that was such a hard day and still so much unfair hardship created after that.
All I can say is Slava ukrainiy.
Thank you, Graham Slava.
And since you mentioned February 24, can you share, how did you experience that day? You
said you were ready for it, but when the day started, how did you hear the news of the
war? How did you feel? Did you believe it at first or not? And then what happened in
your life in that period until today?
You know, I'm so ambitious person and maybe on 21st February, I was filled with my energy
and my parents were worried about war and I supported them. I try to support everyone
and you know, it really gives me pleasure. When I'm afraid or something difficult happens,
I start helping others and I become happy. I feel better when I support others. And for
me, volunteering is a special stage of my developing and volunteering, it's really
so important for me. This deal has appeared in my life since the beginning of the full
scale invasion of Russia in my country. And it's important for me now to support the soldiers
because these people protect me and I know that they are at the front and they are living
people and they also have a sense of fear for their life. And I really, I respect them
so much and I want to help them with all my soul and all my heart.
I agree 100%. They're the protectors and the defenders of your country and so far they
have been so patriotic and have done such an amazing job. And you spoke about your love
for helping people that when you feel negative emotions or hard times, you help people and
that makes you feel calm and happy, et cetera. Do you do that because when you see other
people happy, you are a people pleaser and so their happiness gives you happiness? Or
do you do it because of a sense that if you create more positivity in the world, therefore
you are being a good person and it means you can always believe there are good people in
the world, not only bad people? Or if so, how did you deal sometimes growing up with
being nice and helping some people who maybe are ungrateful and break your heart and disappoint
you and don't really value the help that you do? Because everybody who is helpful, sometimes
they meet some people who are ungrateful and it's a disappointing experience. So two things.
Do you help people to feel because you love their happiness? Do you help people so that
you believe there are good things in this world and good people? And how did you deal
with people who maybe did not appreciate you when you are kind, supportive and helpful?
You said about happiness. You know, I think that happiness is something temporary. It's
like euphoria. And for me, helping, it's not about happiness. However, I think that I am
altruistic person and I try help each other. But I think that I grew up in the strong society
and yeah, it's my mission to help people. And I want to be a politician because I want
to help them. I want to support them. I want to protect them. And now in this difficult
situation, in the struggles, I want to support them with all my heart, with all my soul.
I want to support them and I want to do my best, do something what I can to do to support
them.
Thank you. That is absolutely fantastic. And then even more, what do you think about the
war that has stayed for so long now? There are many Ukrainians who maybe started their
education, new jobs, new life in Europe, Canada, the US, all over the world. Do you feel that
because they started a new life and maybe they hear news that the economy would be bad
in Ukraine, so much infrastructure destruction, they may not return, maybe only send money
and support from abroad? Or do you feel and think and maybe even know some Ukrainians
who are waiting for victory to return no matter what? What's your perspective?
I absolutely believe in our victory, in Ukrainian victory. And I respect all Ukrainians. And
I think all Ukrainians are so ambitious. They are so independent and I respect them so much.
And I think that when there's a problem of Ukraine, that Ukraine is independent country.
And we always will love our country. We like Ukrainian Kazakhs, we are independent and
it's so difficult to manage us. So I think this destroy of infrastructure in my city,
it's nothing because everything will be fine and we will build the most incredible buildings
than it was and everything will be fine. The main idea now, it's our victory.
I agree 100%. And I love your confidence. So I want to ask about that. There are many
girls and women in the world who feel low self-confidence, maybe they have ideas, they
could change, maybe they desire to be politicians, but they let low confidence stop them. She
thinks, oh, I'm a shy girl, I will never be able to be a successful politician or like
you spoke about, maybe she doesn't feel comfortable looking people in the eyes, et cetera. What
is your advice to girls from all over the world so that they can gain more independence,
become stronger, more confident and realize their dreams and share their voices loud,
even though maybe they feel very shy, they feel low confidence at the moment, what is
advice or a plan or what to do to become more like you?
Oh my gosh, it's a really great question. And I was always insecure. I was always unconfident
and I suffered a lot from this. It was difficult for me to look people in the eye because I
was shy. And I believe this happened to me long before the coronavirus, maybe it was
in my childhood, my parents divorced and it was difficult for me. Not because they divorced,
because I had to prove my love to them. They didn't want to communicate with each other.
And I was like a mediator of the dialogue. And you know, I had no one, no one to tell
about everything that happened. And I lived all struggles inside myself. And there were
many different processes in my soul and I couldn't understand them. And even now when
I, when I'm at the depths of my depression, I sometimes can't figure it out. But I try.
And I think when a person experiences difficulties, he becomes strong. It doesn't matter what
nature these struggles are. For example, when I have, when I was having a hard time as a
child, I had no one to talk to. And I started talking to God and praying. I am a Christianity
and I started to go to church. Yep, I'm Christianity, but I respect all religions. And I think that
every religion reveals our humanity and maybe something like love. And I realized that all
the difficulties that the universe sends me make me better. And when I was at the depths
of my depression, no one could help me. Only I could help myself and save myself. How?
I just opened the door in myself. I understood what I want and which things bring me pleasure.
And sometimes, yep, I said it was so difficult for me to look people in the eye. So I decided
I will always look only in the eye. And you know, everything I do is like a killer shot
because I feel all self-doubt in myself. And for example, if I'm afraid to go on a stage
and speak in public, it means that I have to constantly, frequently go out in public
and speak. And I really like purposeful people maybe. And I think that sometimes we need
to be like a cockroach, regardless if you're a woman or a man, because for example, when
someone wants to destroy you or people admire your success or you don't believe in yourself
and this doubt destroy you, you always get what you want. Why? Because you're like a
cockroach and you just multiply and go forward to a goal and you're achieving. And I was
so unconfident, but I decided, no, I want to be a politician and politician can't be
so shy. I need to speak a lot, to speak a lot with people, communicate with them. And
it's my problem, but now I think that I'm confident.
I love that. Every woman who gains her confidence and goes through the struggle, I'm proud of
you. I'm proud of her and everyone. I encourage every woman in the world to find her power.
And now, to speak even more about you and about the situation in Ukraine, especially
you as a politician, you'll probably follow the geopolitical situation. What do you think
is the state of the war right now? What do you expect to happen in this year? What is
going on, especially the difficult times that can happen for many Ukrainians where maybe
they don't have electricity often and it's cold weather, it's freezing and all that?
What will happen according to you and what's your analysis of the political situation?
It's difficult for me to think about the future, but yeah, it's difficult to live without electricity,
but I think it makes me stronger than I was. And now I have experience to live without
electricity, without something else. But we are Ukrainians, we are independent. And I
think that the new year will be so productive for us, for Ukrainians, because now we are
like European country and we need to create a relationship with representatives from Europe
and I think everything will be fine. So I believe in it.
Thank you so much. And for now, can you describe a day in your life during now the war? How
do you wake up? When do you wake up? What do you do during the day? How do you study?
Can you tell me and share moments from a Ukrainian girl who is living through the war and how
is a normal day for you?
I try to wake up with a sense of humor and even if I had no electricity, I try to be
happy and everything will be fine. I know, I'm sure in it. And now I'm on holiday and
I try to relax more, watch Netflix, etc. And I learn in foreign languages, I learn English
and now I started non-Hebrew because I really, I like the culture of this country, of Israel.
And you know, I think it's worth paying attention that Israel has been suffering from the war
since the first day of its existence. And that country is fighting for its place to
be right now. And I respect the women who serve in the Israel army. And I believe, I
think that in the future, Ukrainian women also will serve in the army.
Thank you so much, Irada. And then it makes me even more curious. You're now studying
in Ukraine. In the future or even this year, would you consider studying and finishing
your education abroad before returning to Ukraine or maybe doing an Erasmus exchange
or such a thing? Or do you decide to stay in Ukraine during the war? How is your opinion
about this? How is the situation, especially that many Ukrainian people are studying abroad
to further their education before returning? So what would be your choice?
I support the students who are now learning and get some knowledge abroad. I really respect
it. But I decided that I will finish my university only in Ukraine, in my city. And I want to
be a politician, a public figure, and I want to do something useful for my country. And
I don't want to go abroad. But I think it's really a great opportunity to develop yourself
and to communicate with representatives from different countries. And now in Ukraine, I
try to communicate with the representatives from other countries. And it's really interesting
for me. And Erasmus, it's a so great project for me. But I have no idea if I will or not.
I decided to be in Ukraine.
Thank you so much, Irada. It was honestly my privilege and my honor to have you here
in this project today. I really enjoyed your unique personality, your confidence, your
desire to support your country and to be a politician who helps people. And all I can
say is slava okraini and I wish victory for Ukraine.
Thank you so much, Grandslava. It was really a great conversation for me and I really am
so happy.
