International Day of The Girl: Meet The Activists
October 11th marks International Day of the Girl. Together with Plan International we are celebrating the voices of powerful girls around the world and standing with them as they take on the issues that matter to them.
Meet The Activists
It’s vital that girls' ideas and experiences are heard. Meet the inspiring youth activists working with Plan International to highlight and fight for gender inequality around the world. If you can make time for one thing today, read their stories.
Name: Uma
Location: India
Focus: Child Marriage & Education
Every three seconds, another girl becomes a child bride. And the pandemic will disrupt efforts to end child marriage, potentially resulting in an additional 13 million child marriages worldwide between 2020 and 2030. After her own experience, Uma, 21, is taking a stand in her community. Uma was due to have an arranged marriage at the age of 12. But Uma’s mother was determined that she should be able to go to school for as long as possible. “I wasn’t allowed to work because my mother wanted me to be able to finish my education, which she felt was very important. She never had that opportunity herself and she reckoned that her lack of education was the root of the setbacks in her own life.”
When Uma’s mother became too sick to work, Uma took a year off from her education to financially support them both and stumbled upon her greatest passion. Uma worked for an aid organisation as a social worker and was involved with children’s rights, school leavers, adult education and women’s issues. “That year spurred me on to help girls and women who have been through similar experiences to me. I was able to prevent child marriages, convince early school leavers to go back to school and I gave lessons to adults during the evenings.”
Uma is now a member of the youth lobby group of the Girls Advocacy Alliance, supported by Plan International. By making education more accessible to girls, Uma sees it as her life’s ambition to reduce violence against girls and young women, like child marriage, in India. As a youth advocate, Uma is ready to do what it takes and serve as an inspiration to other girls.
Location: India
Focus: Child Marriage & Education
Every three seconds, another girl becomes a child bride. And the pandemic will disrupt efforts to end child marriage, potentially resulting in an additional 13 million child marriages worldwide between 2020 and 2030. After her own experience, Uma, 21, is taking a stand in her community. Uma was due to have an arranged marriage at the age of 12. But Uma’s mother was determined that she should be able to go to school for as long as possible. “I wasn’t allowed to work because my mother wanted me to be able to finish my education, which she felt was very important. She never had that opportunity herself and she reckoned that her lack of education was the root of the setbacks in her own life.”
When Uma’s mother became too sick to work, Uma took a year off from her education to financially support them both and stumbled upon her greatest passion. Uma worked for an aid organisation as a social worker and was involved with children’s rights, school leavers, adult education and women’s issues. “That year spurred me on to help girls and women who have been through similar experiences to me. I was able to prevent child marriages, convince early school leavers to go back to school and I gave lessons to adults during the evenings.”
Uma is now a member of the youth lobby group of the Girls Advocacy Alliance, supported by Plan International. By making education more accessible to girls, Uma sees it as her life’s ambition to reduce violence against girls and young women, like child marriage, in India. As a youth advocate, Uma is ready to do what it takes and serve as an inspiration to other girls.
Name: Sohagi
Location: Bangladesh
Focus: Climate Resilience
19-year-old Sohagi lives in a slum in Bangladesh, the capital of Dhaka. Around 3,000 people live in her neighbourhood, which is surrounded by a man-made, polluted lake. The entire area where she lives is flooded with dirty water as the monsoon season sets in. But Sohagi is determined to make a change and is advocating for sustainable solutions to ensure that her city survives.
“The monsoon season comes every year, but it’s falling earlier, it lasts longer and it is more unpredictable. Our community is getting waterlogged, sometimes for weeks.” Sohagi says.
Girls are often hit hardest by climate change. Typically, girls do not return to school if their parents pull them out to help find food and water. In many places, climate change means that there is a shortage of food, and then it is usually the girls who go to bed hungry because it is they who eat last. And in many places, poverty causes families to marry their daughter off at an early age.
Sohagi is involved in a number of development projects organised by Plan International. Among other things, she is part of a youth group that works to call on the authorities asking that they give priority to improving conditions in the slum.
“We, the next generation, are part of the solution. We want to be a partner to policy makers in finding sustainable solutions. The future depends on us. Let’s get to work - for us, for Dhaka, for the planet.”
Location: Bangladesh
Focus: Climate Resilience
19-year-old Sohagi lives in a slum in Bangladesh, the capital of Dhaka. Around 3,000 people live in her neighbourhood, which is surrounded by a man-made, polluted lake. The entire area where she lives is flooded with dirty water as the monsoon season sets in. But Sohagi is determined to make a change and is advocating for sustainable solutions to ensure that her city survives.
“The monsoon season comes every year, but it’s falling earlier, it lasts longer and it is more unpredictable. Our community is getting waterlogged, sometimes for weeks.” Sohagi says.
Girls are often hit hardest by climate change. Typically, girls do not return to school if their parents pull them out to help find food and water. In many places, climate change means that there is a shortage of food, and then it is usually the girls who go to bed hungry because it is they who eat last. And in many places, poverty causes families to marry their daughter off at an early age.
Sohagi is involved in a number of development projects organised by Plan International. Among other things, she is part of a youth group that works to call on the authorities asking that they give priority to improving conditions in the slum.
“We, the next generation, are part of the solution. We want to be a partner to policy makers in finding sustainable solutions. The future depends on us. Let’s get to work - for us, for Dhaka, for the planet.”
Name: Gift
Location: Nigeria
Focus: Anti-trafficking in Nigeria
Every day, girls in crisis-hit areas of Nigeria are being trafficked and exploited. Sold, deceived and coerced, they’re being forced into prostitution, child labour, domestic servitude and child marriage. 94% of trafficking victims from Nigeria are women and girls.
No girl should have to face this. That’s why we partnered with Gift, 25, to champion a girl-led movement to say enough is enough - we must say #NoToTrafficking.
Over 25,000 supporters joined the campaign to stand in solidarity and support their call, leading to a partnership between the youth advocates and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to work together to tackle trafficking.
Location: Nigeria
Focus: Anti-trafficking in Nigeria
Every day, girls in crisis-hit areas of Nigeria are being trafficked and exploited. Sold, deceived and coerced, they’re being forced into prostitution, child labour, domestic servitude and child marriage. 94% of trafficking victims from Nigeria are women and girls.
No girl should have to face this. That’s why we partnered with Gift, 25, to champion a girl-led movement to say enough is enough - we must say #NoToTrafficking.
Over 25,000 supporters joined the campaign to stand in solidarity and support their call, leading to a partnership between the youth advocates and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to work together to tackle trafficking.
Name: Rose
Location: Malawi
Focus: Gender based violence in refugee camps
Rose, 19 is one of Plan International Malawi’s young activists at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi. Like many other girls in the camp, she is concerned with how the pandemic will affect her and other girls. girls are fearful that pandemic may lead to girls being sexually exploited and abused.
To ensure the safety of girls and other vulnerable groups, Plan International is raising awareness in the camp about the way girls can report all forms of abuse. Rose is involved in promoting the initiative.
“This is the time when girls face a lot of challenges. Since no one is working and we are just staying home, we may face a lot of violence. Don’t let anyone destroy your future, report any form of violence to the authorities.”
Location: Malawi
Focus: Gender based violence in refugee camps
Rose, 19 is one of Plan International Malawi’s young activists at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi. Like many other girls in the camp, she is concerned with how the pandemic will affect her and other girls. girls are fearful that pandemic may lead to girls being sexually exploited and abused.
To ensure the safety of girls and other vulnerable groups, Plan International is raising awareness in the camp about the way girls can report all forms of abuse. Rose is involved in promoting the initiative.
“This is the time when girls face a lot of challenges. Since no one is working and we are just staying home, we may face a lot of violence. Don’t let anyone destroy your future, report any form of violence to the authorities.”
Name: Xiomara
Location: Peru
Focus: Education
The coronavirus crisis has caused school closures across the globe and at the peak of lockdown more than 1.6 billion children were out of school in 184 countries. Xiomara, 15, is one of those girls.
Before the lockdown, Xiomara was in secondary education and very happy at school. Now, she and her younger brother help around the house with cleaning and feeding their pigs, in a province of Peru.
"After school I want to be a good professional, I want to be a nurse, since I want to help people in my community and other places."
Xiomara has suffered from epilepsy since she was twelve. As a result of the pandemic, her treatment has been put at risk since health centres close to her community are prioritising the care of patients with coronavirus.
Xiomara firmly believes that this crisis can bring out the best in people and she hopes to return to school soon.
Location: Peru
Focus: Education
The coronavirus crisis has caused school closures across the globe and at the peak of lockdown more than 1.6 billion children were out of school in 184 countries. Xiomara, 15, is one of those girls.
Before the lockdown, Xiomara was in secondary education and very happy at school. Now, she and her younger brother help around the house with cleaning and feeding their pigs, in a province of Peru.
"After school I want to be a good professional, I want to be a nurse, since I want to help people in my community and other places."
Xiomara has suffered from epilepsy since she was twelve. As a result of the pandemic, her treatment has been put at risk since health centres close to her community are prioritising the care of patients with coronavirus.
Xiomara firmly believes that this crisis can bring out the best in people and she hopes to return to school soon.
Name: Jess
Location: UK
Focus: Street Harassment
Across the UK, girls are being harassed in public places and told it's just part of growing up. In fact, during lockdown in the UK, 1 in 5 girls’ aged 14-21 experienced public sexual harassment.
Jess, 19, is calling for an end to public sexual harassment -street harassment. In 2019 she gave a powerful Tedx talk on the topic and has been working alongside Plan International to champion the #ISayItsNotOK campaign.
“I’ve lost count of the times I have been sexually harassed in public, times I was wearing my school uniform, times I was wearing dresses. There have been times I have walked home a different way, gripped by fear, the potential threat of harassment constantly in the back of my mind… Every time, I get a sick feeling in my stomach, I want to run or hide or get away. It’s a feeling I can’t quite describe, it makes me feel ashamed of my body and ashamed to be a girl. And the feelings don’t go away.”
Location: UK
Focus: Street Harassment
Across the UK, girls are being harassed in public places and told it's just part of growing up. In fact, during lockdown in the UK, 1 in 5 girls’ aged 14-21 experienced public sexual harassment.
Jess, 19, is calling for an end to public sexual harassment -street harassment. In 2019 she gave a powerful Tedx talk on the topic and has been working alongside Plan International to champion the #ISayItsNotOK campaign.
“I’ve lost count of the times I have been sexually harassed in public, times I was wearing my school uniform, times I was wearing dresses. There have been times I have walked home a different way, gripped by fear, the potential threat of harassment constantly in the back of my mind… Every time, I get a sick feeling in my stomach, I want to run or hide or get away. It’s a feeling I can’t quite describe, it makes me feel ashamed of my body and ashamed to be a girl. And the feelings don’t go away.”
Name: Cathy
Location: Uganda
Focus: Online Safety
As the pandemic forces our lives to move increasingly online, girls are more at risk than ever. Plan International spoke to 14,000 girls in 22 countries around the world and more than half have been harassed and abused on social media.
Cathy, 20, is from Uganda. She lives at home with her mother, sister and brother and works as a tailor.
She has been using the internet for the last three years, regularly logging into social media platforms such as Facebook as a way to chat and keep in touch with friends. But soon after she joined the platform, she experienced an unsettling incident of online harassment.
“A guy came into my inbox and said ‘hi’. I replied back ‘hi’. He said, ‘how are you?’, I replied. But the following day when I woke up, I found weird pictures. He had sent me his nude pictures. I was shocked. It was so heart-breaking.
“The world needs to acknowledge that it has a serious issue,” Cathy adds. “People may not see the effects of online harassment, but it can lead to depression, even death. My experience of online harassment has changed because many people have been at home, and the only thing they could use was the internet.
I think girls should be offered more protection online, because girls have a right to be online.”
Cathy also cares about girls’ safety offline. She is a Champions of Change facilitator for Plan International’s Safer Cities programme, working with girls to ensure they have access to, and can move freely in, public spaces, and are participating in decision-making about their cities.
Location: Uganda
Focus: Online Safety
As the pandemic forces our lives to move increasingly online, girls are more at risk than ever. Plan International spoke to 14,000 girls in 22 countries around the world and more than half have been harassed and abused on social media.
Cathy, 20, is from Uganda. She lives at home with her mother, sister and brother and works as a tailor.
She has been using the internet for the last three years, regularly logging into social media platforms such as Facebook as a way to chat and keep in touch with friends. But soon after she joined the platform, she experienced an unsettling incident of online harassment.
“A guy came into my inbox and said ‘hi’. I replied back ‘hi’. He said, ‘how are you?’, I replied. But the following day when I woke up, I found weird pictures. He had sent me his nude pictures. I was shocked. It was so heart-breaking.
“The world needs to acknowledge that it has a serious issue,” Cathy adds. “People may not see the effects of online harassment, but it can lead to depression, even death. My experience of online harassment has changed because many people have been at home, and the only thing they could use was the internet.
I think girls should be offered more protection online, because girls have a right to be online.”
Cathy also cares about girls’ safety offline. She is a Champions of Change facilitator for Plan International’s Safer Cities programme, working with girls to ensure they have access to, and can move freely in, public spaces, and are participating in decision-making about their cities.
Feeling inspired? Us too.
Find out more about becoming a youth activist and take the quiz to discover what’s your activist style - action starts with just a click!
About Plan International + UO
The coronavirus crisis is having a devastating global impact, and Urban Outfitters is proud to partner with Plan International. We have donated £30k to the Plan International Coronavirus Appeal through the sale of our reusable face masks, with £1 from each mask being donated to help stop the spread of the virus.
Girls are already experiencing increases in violence, sexual exploitation and reduced access to education, as they often have to take on greater domestic responsibilities at home – just because they are girls. Here in the UK, the pandemic is having a significant impact on girls’ rights, their mental health and their safety in public and online. In fact:
• Every three seconds, a girl becomes a child bride. The pandemic has disrupted efforts to end child marriage, potentially resulting in an additional 13 million child marriages worldwide between 2020 and 2030.
• The crisis has caused school closures across the globe. At the peak of lockdown, more than 1.6 billion children were out of school in 184 countries.
• During lockdown in the UK 1 in 5 girls aged 14-21 experienced public sexual harassment.
• As the pandemic forces our lives to move increasingly online, girls are more at risk than ever. Plan International spoke to 14,000 girls in 22 countries around the world and more than half have been harassed and abused on social media.
Find out more about becoming a youth activist and take the quiz to discover what’s your activist style - action starts with just a click!
About Plan International + UO
The coronavirus crisis is having a devastating global impact, and Urban Outfitters is proud to partner with Plan International. We have donated £30k to the Plan International Coronavirus Appeal through the sale of our reusable face masks, with £1 from each mask being donated to help stop the spread of the virus.
Girls are already experiencing increases in violence, sexual exploitation and reduced access to education, as they often have to take on greater domestic responsibilities at home – just because they are girls. Here in the UK, the pandemic is having a significant impact on girls’ rights, their mental health and their safety in public and online. In fact:
• Every three seconds, a girl becomes a child bride. The pandemic has disrupted efforts to end child marriage, potentially resulting in an additional 13 million child marriages worldwide between 2020 and 2030.
• The crisis has caused school closures across the globe. At the peak of lockdown, more than 1.6 billion children were out of school in 184 countries.
• During lockdown in the UK 1 in 5 girls aged 14-21 experienced public sexual harassment.
• As the pandemic forces our lives to move increasingly online, girls are more at risk than ever. Plan International spoke to 14,000 girls in 22 countries around the world and more than half have been harassed and abused on social media.
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Here from the UK
Here from the EU
Useful Links & Resources:
https://plan-uk.org/international-day-of-the-girl-2020
https://plan-international.org
https://plan-uk.org/act-for-girls/act-for-girls-toolkit
https://plan-uk.org/act-for-girls/girls-rights-in-the-uk
https://plan-uk.org/about/about-us
https://plan-uk.org/jobs-volunteering/volunteering-with-plan
https://plan-uk.org/emergencies/coronavirus-childrens-emergency-appeal#donate