Tuesday, October 11, 2022 marks the 10th anniversary of International Day of the Girl. We acknowledge the UN's statement that in the past 10 years there has been increased attention over the past 10 years on issues that matter to girls. Yet, investments in girls’ rights remain limited and girls continue to confront a myriad of challenges to fulfilling their potential; made worse by concurrent crises of climate change, COVID-19 and humanitarian conflict.
Girls around the world continue to face unprecedented challenges to their education, their physical and mental wellness, and the protections needed for a life without violence. Girls with disabilities face additional barriers to accessing support and services. COVID-19 has worsened existing burdens on girls around the world and worn away important gains made over the last decade.
With adversity, however, comes resourcefulness, creativity, tenacity, and resilience. The world's girls have shown time and time again that when given the skills and the opportunities, they become the changemakers driving progress in their communities,building back stronger for all, including women, boys and men.
Girls are ready for a decade of acceleration forward. It is time for us all to stand accountable – with and for girls – and to invest in a future that believes in their agency, leadership and potential.
World Vision: Ways to make a difference on Day of the Girl
Raise awareness | Help us inform more people about the obstacles girls in the developing world face and inspire them to take action. You can engage with our posts on Facebook and Instagram,or forward this newsletter to someone you think would appreciate it.
Use your influence | Help us pass the Keeping Girls in School Act in both the House and Senate by taking 5 minutes to fill out this quick and easy online form. Thank you!
Read and share | Our Day of the Girl article for insights on why parents allow their daughters to marry at such a young age and what's being done to empower them other options.
Invest in women and girls | Now you can double your impact.Every $1 given to the Strong Women Strong World™ Fund will be matched* with a $1 donation to programs that empower women and girls, thanks to our generous SWSW partner, Clean Water Here.
*up to $12 million
Partner Spotlight: Hannah Grierson
Day of the Girl is an opportunity to celebrate the 1.1 billion girls worldwide whose diverse experiences, beliefs, and passions deserve to be honored and empowered.
I’ve been involved with World Vision since I was a girl myself. Likely fed up with my vocal disappointment in not having a sister, my parents helped me sponsor a girl from Ethiopia when I was 10 through World Vision’s child sponsorship program. My sponsored child and I had the exact same birthday and experienced girlhood simultaneously. As we grew up, we learned more about the surprising similarities and stark differences in our lives as young girls. The sharing of stories between two girls a world apart speaks to the beauty of the common experience of girlhood in the midst of diverse contexts.
This experience was profoundly impactful, and I chose to continue my involvement with World Vision as I moved beyond girlhood. Through the Strong Women Strong World community, I’ve had the privilege of hearing countless more stories of amazing girls around the world. These are stories of courage, tenacity, and ingenuity despite a myriad of personal and systemic barriers.
This Day of the Girl, we get to celebrate these stories of girlhood while recognizing the vital work that remains in overcoming gender inequality.
I deeply admire Word Vision’s efforts to counter personal and institutional narratives that disempower women and girls. Whether in our neighborhoods or around the world, it is important that we show girls that their creativity, interests, and dreams matter.
I am honored to be a part of SWSW’s work to empower girls everywhere and look forward to celebrating the Day of the Girl this Tuesday. Will you join me?
Hannah recently graduated from Westmont College in Santa Barbara with a degree in Political Science and works as an Administration Officer at the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) USA.
She's been a part of the Strong Women, Strong World community since 2020 and is currently on the SWSW Council.
Hannah's friend and sponsored child Kibaye in Ethiopia.
Coming up:
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2
Give yourself a gift and join us at the 18th Annual Strong Women Strong World event.
We'll be "in person" and back in New York City at 583 Park Avenue! Watch your inbox for an invitation to register later this week.
Our community in action: Last month
In September, World Vision and Strong Women Strong World were featured at the Concordia Annual Summit - the largest convening of the top corporate, government and NGO leaders in world alongside the UN General Assembly. The purpose of the Summit is to spark dialogue, promote collaboration, and collectively pave the path toward a more equitable, sustainable future.
World Vision announced reaching more than 25 million people with access to clean water, a major milestone of our unprecedented goal of reaching 50 million people by 2030. As the largest non-governmental organization delivering clean water around the world, World Vision hosted corporate and NGO partners working together to finish the job.
On the main stage, Patricia Heaton, World Vision Ambassador and SWSWpartner, facilitated a panel discussion on solving the global water crisis with Edgar Sandoval, WVUS President and CEO, Allison Tummon, P&G, and Pia Yasuko Rask, Grundfos. Our partners expressed the great value of collaborating with World Vision and reinforced their commitment to partnering in the future and invited others to join us in this journey.
In 2021, 90 percent of World Vision's total operating expenses were used for programs that benefit children, families, and communities in need. Learn More.
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