In case you haven’t heard, there’s a non-profit organization called Girls Inc. that’s “dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.” They work toward achieving this goal 24/7/365. But this week the focus on helping girls around the world gets more attention because it’s officially Girls Rights Week!
What does that mean? It means more awareness for the plight of girls around the world to be seen as equals in the eyes of all. It means that there are steps each of us—male and female—can take to help advance girls’ rights and gender equity worldwide. It means for people and governments recognizing that girls not only have rights but should be afforded rights equal to those of men.
Some people believe that if you change the life of one girl, that then in turn can change the lives of all of those around her: her family, her community, even her nation. Studies prove that the more that girls have access to education, the less likely they are to marry as children, the more they know about keeping themselves and their children (including unborn) healthy, the more likely they are to speak out when a wrong occurs against them and the more likely they are to be productive, working members of their families and society, contributing financially.
Girls can do amazing things—just as much as boys can. We try to teach that to our children here, but girls everywhere need to know that and need to know that there are women all over the world who believe that and support that.
To learn more about Girls Rights Week and read the “Girls Bill of Rights,” check out Girls, Inc. And may your week be filled with Girl Power!
