The Song

I Know the Longer Way © Women Empowerment Song by Karl Gart

Young women and a conductor sing a song in a recording studio.

Created by Karl Gart

The founder of Women of Asia and author of Women Empowerment anthem, "I Know the Longer Way". Organizational mentor and advisor. Leader, chairman, director, and creator of organizations. Educator and writer. Classical musician and composer.

Core Articles

Read about our Mission, Vision, Dreams, and how we shape individuals we call ‘Candles.’ These five articles will help you grasp the ideas that inspire, keep us hopeful, and drive our actions.

Here is our women empowerment Anthem inspired by the stories of many women. This song tells true stories of their lives and sows power, light, and hope.

The Story Of The Song

When I left my home in Europe, moved to Asia, and began working there, I realized many things were different. “Fair enough,” one can say, “we are all different.”

However, the situation of women in Southeast Asia seemed much more challenging than in Europe.

Since I moved to Asia, I had hundreds of conversations about it. I led sessions with young women from several SEA regions to help them build self-value and self-confidence. I set their mindset to help them make faith in selves, establish and defend their boundaries, and abandon false beliefs imposed on them.

What was easy for me was giant leaps for them.

Many come from large low-income families and suffer from parents’ addictions and unemployment, domestic violence, malnourishment, hunger, the lack of (or poor) education, and no perspective to break from the vicious cycle of poverty. They struggle with low self-esteem, depression, diseases, lack of access to quality employment, and an unhealthy lifestyle. Some don’t know there is psychology. They say they’re possessed when they fear or become sad or angry.

I asked many women deprived of education and opportunities what their stories were. What they wanted, wish for, and desire? What was it that they couldn’t even dream of? Since birth, all they heard about was to submit to their cultural norms and social expectations and to families that would favor their brothers, pick their life partners, choose careers, and decide the level of girls’ dependency.

Once, I promised to compose a song, an Anthem for the Bali WISE Organization and their Students.

To collect material for the song, I asked a large group of young Southeast Asian women about their biggest fears and the worst things people ever said about them.

Everyone has demons. Although some women fear losing a family member, abuse, accidents, exams, wild animals, or the unknown, 100% fear they won’t satisfy their families and make them proud.

“How do you make your family proud?” I asked. You marry and have at least a couple of children before a specific, rather early age, dependent on a region, between 18 to 23. You care for your husband and his house and do as your family tells you. You cook, clean, receive random unannounced visits from family members and neighbors, always smile, never complain, never say no, and most importantly, forget about education, work, and income. In some regions, waking up before your husband, moving carefully not to wake him up too early, preparing his breakfast and clothes, and patiently waiting for him to return from work are expected.

In my heart, I thought, what if I was such a young woman? What if I wasn’t conditioned to obey and please you, to submit my actions and crucial life choices to your will, judgment, and opinion? What if my mind wasn’t set on serving your plans? What if I didn’t have to lose you to my growth because you weren’t open to me growing?

How would I speak it out without anger but with power instead? How do I show you I can achieve and do the same things as you?

Thinking of it, I created a song to remind everyone they are worthy, deserve respect and love, and can do whatever they dream.

All I hoped was to inspire others to choose their life paths, pass their light to the following generations, and encourage them to keep going until everyone gets fair opportunities.

Writing the song’s lyrics, I thought of the stories Southeast Asian women shared with me.

I turned every “you can’t” they have been told—into “I can.”

Here is a song for them and whoever You are, my friend: an individual who wants to achieve something good and live a life that people expect you to abandon to satisfy their opinion, judgment, and belief.

One day we will reach the stars. For that, we must raise the Starcraft Ground Crew–

One Humanity

Music and Lyrics: Karl Gart

Women of Asia, Starcraft Ground Crew

2023, Planet Earth, On the Way to Build One Humanity

I Know the Longer Way

Your love can’t tell me what to do

What to feel, what to like,

Who to love, and who

I should be deep inside

Your care tells me “don’t you try,

You are meant otherwise

And your place is where you’re safe from

What you want”

But I’m not here to listen

About the things you say I can’t achieve

I’m here to stand for myself

And walk my way, so you watch me…

I know the logner way

And I’ll walk it

I’m not afraid of loss

Because I have myself

It may be taking night and day

I’ll show the world

My worth and gain

I leave behind all hurting words

I, today, let go of

Not my feelings, not my thoughts

Beliefs of yours!

I can bloom and share the light

Don’t you shame me for that

I deserve your love for who I am,

It’s time

To take my fate in my hands

Use one life I have to build a better world

I’m taking people like me

To reach the stars together,

Oh, you and me!

I know the logner way

And I’ll walk it

I’m not afraid of darkness

I’m a candle

Even in the starless night

My song is loud, my fire’s bright

I know the logner way

And I’ll walk it

I’m coming out of shadows

I am here

To make the world a better place

So give me freedom, give me space

To be best me

I’ll walk the longer way

Till the day

We can say

That the way

We walk is

The same

← Previous Core Article Next Core Article →