Tag Archives: Day of the Girl

March is the month of Girl Power

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March is Women’s History Month and the IDG Summit is proud to partner with ITVS for the #SheDocs online film festival, sponsored by Eileen Fisher, Inc.

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Throughout the month of March, #SheDocs will feature 12 documentary films that highlight extraordinary women and girls, and their accomplishments. This month-long festival presents a collection of films by independent film makers that focus on women and girls transforming their lives, their communities and the world!

And the best part, is that you can watch these films for FREE! There is no other online film festival that brings documentary films about women and girls to U.S. online audiences in this way.

Watch the trailer!

Take action this month:

1. Watch the films online at womenandgirlslead.org! Each week, we will spotlight 3 of the feature films.

2. Host a screening with your friends and spread the word.

3. Get inspired and join the movement! Share these inspiring stories of girl power through social media using #SheDocs #11MonthsofAction #IDG2014.

Let’s celebrate the power of girls and women this March! Together, we can change the world.

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Lizzy Reflects on the Girls Speak Out at the United Nations

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Lizzy at SpkOutFor the Girls Speak Out on October 11th, six girl activists from around the world, ages thirteen to seventeen, shared their inspirational stories and projects. I had the unique opportunity to hear these stories first hand as a representative of Girls Learn International and Girl Advocate for the Working Group on Girls. In fact, I helped to moderate the discussion for the Girls Speak Out. Here are my thoughts about that powerful day, IDG2013:

Eighth-grader Sophie talked about teaching swimming lessons for three years with the Mariposa Foundation on the Northern Coast of the Dominican Republic. Giving girls in this coastal community the opportunity to swim allowed them to get jobs, save lives, and change their social status. Seventeen-year old Diana talked about immigrating to the United States at a young age with her family, crossing a desert for three days with little food or water. Her personal triumph and activism in the New York State Youth Leadership Council shone a light on the deeply unfair immigrants policies. As she said herself, with a power that was startling and amazing, “I am undocumented, unafraid, and unapologetic”.

Fourteen-year-old Malika from Burkina Faso shared how she raised thousands of dollars to buy bikes that help girls safely travel to and from school in her community. Yeimy from Guatemala talked about her grassroots activism within her community – working to bring increased government attention and aid to girls’ education and teenage pregnancy. Claudia from Mozambique spoke about the awareness she raised in her community about human rights and girls’ education. Nesserine and Sihem from Algeria talked about the organization they founded to help more girls go to school within their community.

Speak Out PassAs more and more girls spoke, more and more respondents (Ambassadors, Executive Directors, and High-Level UN officials) became speechless in the wake of such powerful and personal testimonies. I had heard all their stories before in rehearsal, but there was something different in the way the girls were speaking on that day. There was more urgency in their voices, more insistence.

I hear UN officials say at every event that they know investing in girls is important. That they know it changes the world. That they, and their respective governments or organizations, are working to help girls. As great as these public speeches are, girls worldwide get a pitiful amount of international aid: 1%. 1% of all international aid.

The discrepancy between words and actions deny girls worldwide their human rights.

GLI Chapter at SPK OutBut the girl activists at the Girls Speak Out wanted action. They had already worked within their communities to help empower and educate girls. As they spoke about their own issues, programs, organizations, and activism, it became clear that it is girls who are the experts on girls’ rights. The Girls Speak Out showed that girls are the solution. Girls have the unique perspective of actually being girls. They need to be part of the conversation.

On this International Day of the Girl, they were.

 

Daraja Academy Celebrates IDG2013 with The Girl Declaration

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images-13To celebrate International Day of the Girl, Daraja Academy students assembled in the patio outside of the dining hall on campus. Students talk about the power of girls and women frequently, so the International Day of the Girl celebration was unique to the holiday. As a partner of Nike’s Girl Effect, Daraja girls were excited to read and discuss the Girl Effect’s newest project – The Girl Declaration.

The Girl Declaration is a statement written by 508 girls living in poverty around the world with the expertise of more than 25 leading development organizations, declaring the power and strength of girls, in order to be included in the world’s next development agenda. The Millennium Development Goals, which were established following the Millennium Summit at the United Nations in 2000 and expire in 2015, fell short in prioritizing girls, and this declaration was written to ensure that would not happen again.

So on Friday, 11 October 2013 Daraja students broke into small groups and read the declaration aloud. They talked about what they thought about the declaration, and what it means to them. Girls shared with the entire group what they learned from the declaration, and inspiration that they took from it.

In discussion, Jecinta, a first year Daraja student explained, “The Girl Declaration has made a huge impact on me. I know my potential, I am so proud to be a girl.”

Her classmates agreed.

“I have a voice, and I will use it,” asserted Bilha, a second year student.

“I would add,” advised third year Irene, “This is the moment whereby rising up does not scare me.” The other Daraja girls at her table nodded in response.

Following the discussion, Daraja students were ready to show their support to the declaration by signing it. Few by few, they came up to the front of the room and signed a poster with the declaration on it with excited squeals, happily stating their solidarity with the goals of the declaration.

Watch the Daraja Academy sign The Girl Declaration.

Michelle Bachelet Says Girls, Stand Up for Your Rights

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Remember this inspirational message from last year? Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women, said, “Girls, stand up for your rights! UN Women stands beside you.”

How are you standing up for YOUR rights?

Join us for 11 Days of Action, beginning October 1. Together we are changing the world.

 

Day of the Girl Summit Needs YOU

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We are building a movement. And we need you.

We are so proud to announce plans for the 2013 Day of the Girl Summit, a series of events that will help bring the world together to celebrate Girls’ Human Rights. We can’t wait to celebrate this day with all of YOU. Join us!

Last year, the United Nations said that they wanted the International Day of the Girl to help grow worldwide enthusiasm for girls’ human rights. So we created the first, annual Day of the Girl Summit to do just that. And we were wowed by the enthusiastic response the first Summit received! Thousands of girls and girl-serving organizations came together to celebrate the power of girls. We were blown away by your passion and amazing work in support of girls’ human rights.

In fact, the 2012 Day of the Girl Summit became a showcase of what the Day of the Girl means to all of us. Girls around the world sent in pictures, poems, dances, stories and videos. Their story came alive through the two-hour LIVE Day of the Girl Summit Webcast of parties and celebrations. And we’ve heard so many girls talk about how the 11 Days of Action helped give communities ways to change their world.  The hundreds of ‘shout outs’ created last year from girlfriends, sisters, moms and friends, brought us all closer together.

Here are a few things you said:

  • “I love this site. It makes me feel like more and more girls are getting appreciated for their strengths and contributions to society!!” – mgg2012
  • “Girls Rock! This is an amazing summit!” – tarasom
  • “Beyonce was right when she said girls run the world <3” – mellyg23
  • “my dads making brownies, happy day of the girl to my mother and sister” – Sierra
  • “Shout out to all the girls in the world. YYYEEAAHHH is our day!!!” – AIMA1975

So  thank you for making the 2012 Day of the Girl Summit a HUGE success! Now it’s time to get busy to make the 2013 Day of the Summit even better. Here’s are a few highlights:

• We have a new logo! We hope you love it as much as we do! And if you helped with the logo redesign project, THANK YOU!

• Check out the new Day of the Girl Summit website. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter so we can keep connected with all the latest news and events.

• Get busy! Beginning October 1st, as hundreds of other girls from all over the world come together for the 11 Days of Action. Each day will feature a different action for girls’ rights. Our individual voices are powerful, but together, we can change the world.  Join the 11 Days of Action campaign TODAY!

• Join us right here! We’ll have special coverage of the Girls Speak Out event on October 11th. During the Girls Speak Out, you can chat with girl activists, governments, and UN members about how to become powerful agents of change with a vision for the future.

• Stay with us ALL DAY! After the Girls Speak Out, join the Day of the Girl Summit webcast and tune in for Day of the Girl celebrations, parties, and events across the globe.

We are building a movement. Join us! We can’t wait to celebrate with all of YOU.

The Day of the Girl Summit Team