Members of School Girls Unite, one of the founding groups behind Day of the Girl, have sent President Obama a formal request for a Presidential Proclamation for this year’s International Day of the Girl. School Girls Unite worked hard last year to get a Presidential Proclamation for the first annual Day of the Girl, but was not successful. But instead of giving up, the group is trying again!

In the request, the group highlighted that millions of girls across the world lack the opportunity to get an education. Literacy is one of the most powerful tools a person can have, and the gender disparity in that toolbox is an injustice that the Day of the Girl aims to fix. School Girls Unite has long focused on education and child marriage, and hopefully a Presidential Proclamation of the Day of the Girl can raise awareness in the U.S. about how those issues face girls in particular.

A Presidential Proclamation from the U.S. would also signal to other nations and people around the world that the U.S. stands for girls’ rights and gender equality. A Proclamation such as this isn’t a signpost saying “We have it all figured out,” but more a statement that “We are working on figuring it out,” a statement that the U.S. can and will address the gender inequalities in our own backyards, without forgetting those abroad.

Check out the letter for yourself: Dear Mr. President (will open as a pdf document)

The first ever International Day of the Girl has come and gone, and I honestly could not have been more ecstatic with all the action I’ve seen. Various friends sent me messages, bringing my attention to major figures and organizations that have been covering the event, including initiatives started by Hillary Clinton and an editorial by one of my favorite journalists, Nicholas Kristof. Over 100 Proclamations were sought across the country, and events were held all across the globe. And as devastating as the attack on brave Malala Yousafzai’s life was (continued hopes for her speedy recovery), we cannot ignore the terrible irony of its relevance—her story, if nothing else, tells us exactly why we need to focus on girls.

This is Pamela, 6, who loves traditional folk dancing and going to school. Let’s make the world a better place for girls like her.

But now that the frenzy has died down, I am here, a week later, to remind you that the work is far from over. Gender discrimination doesn’t take coffee breaks. I, personally, am realizing this in new ways as a volunteer with a community organization in Nicaragua. Before coming to Nicaragua, which is the poorest country in Latin America, I have been warned by many Latin Americans about Nicaraguan machismo—excessive masculine pride that often results in misogynistic treatment of women. But hearing about it is not at all the same as experiencing it.

What I notice most here, day in and day out, are the social forces to limit girls to their reproductive capabilities. Never have been more aware of my femaleness than walking to and from work. In fact, I nearly had a heart attack yesterday evening after being honked at extremely loudly, only to be rewarded by some dude’s gross, leering face. This behavior is normal for Nicaraguan girls pretty much when they start puberty. So as these girls enter their adolescence, their “most important role” is probably already ingrained in them, which explains why half of Nicaraguan girls give birth before the age of 20. Or why my host mother’s 18-year-old niece is experiencing her second pregnancy while attempting to complete her 1^st year of high school for the third time. My internship supervisor tells me that many Nicaraguan women and girls are simply not aware of other options other than selflessly raising children and depending on their men (if they stick around, that is). And if they stray from their expectations, women face physical repercussions to remind them of their submissive role; domestic violence is so common here that at least 60 percent of women have been physically abused at least once.

So, Day of the Girl has come and gone, but the issues aren’t going anywhere any time soon. And we should keep learning about them.  I am utterly grateful for the experiences I’m having in Nicaragua, because I get to learn about gender oppression in a specific area in ways I’ve never done before. But as Eliana Stanislawski has aptly said, it’s not enough to just learn about the problem: “there has to be value in that knowledge that incites action.” For this reason, I am planning a workshop for adolescent girls in my current community to think critically about the role that they have been expected to fulfill and how their society creates that role—a space that many of these girls have never been offered before. While it may not be much, I hope it’s a seed that can sprout into enduring action.

Now it’s your turn! What issues have you been continuing to work on today?

This is a guest blog by 17 year old Karen Chee, from Foster City, California!

Thursday, October 11 was a busy day for me: I had three cumbersome tests in school, and I experienced three rather intense revelations.

Karen and her friend suffragette Susan Anthony!

My first revelation: My three exams were not things I should groan about, but rather, be grateful for. With the recent news of the attack on 15-year-old Malala Yousufzai and her work in promoting education for women, I felt the need to appreciate the taken-for-granted opportunity of public school. I realized how lucky I was to have been born in a country where everyone was given, more or less, an equal opportunity at learning.

My second revelation: The fact that I felt lucky revealed something very wrong in the world. Luck should not be the factor that determines whether or not someone has access to education. Luck should not have the power to decide the fates of millions of girls around the world who are denied equal opportunities in school or forced into child marriages.

Growing up nearby San Francisco, California, I can honestly say that I’ve experienced little, if any, gender discrimination. I only learned this past summer that women in America are paid much less than their male counterparts, that certain members of our Congress actually oppose equal pay for women, and that the crucial Supreme Court ruling of Roe v. Wade is threatened by the results of the upcoming presidential election. But casting aside these (somehow) controversial topics, I do acknowledge that women in America are better off than many women around the world, particularly in third world countries. And while I am grateful for what I have, I also recognize that this makes it all the more important for me to fight for others.

I worked for the past few months to have Day of the Girl proclamations passed in six different local governments: the City and County of San Francisco, Foster City, Belmont, and both the City and County of San Mateo. The people I contacted and worked with in the various city councils and county boards were very kind and helpful, and sometimes even emailed me back to note their appreciation for my work. It was incredible to learn that adult leaders in the community were honestly grateful for and encouraged youth initiative, and this led to…

My third revelation: It is up to us, the so-called “common people,” to actually fight for equality. I took my experience in a positive light—sure, there were council members who did not consider women’s rights as part of their agendas, but the fact that my work was able to affect their plans was truly inspirational. And it’s even more inspirational to know that I do not stand alone in this civil fight.

The worldwide push for women’s rights to education and opportunity and equality under the law is becoming stronger than ever, and with Malala Yousufzai’s near martyrdom, it’s clear that the need for this change is more crucial than ever. Women around the world face problems like sex trafficking, gender-based violence, discrimination in the work force, and, in my case, arduous school exams. But wherever we may live, and whichever government we may live under, we have to remember: we are all women, all people, all living on the same planet, and we have to work together to do what is right.

For Immediate Release  |  Contact:  Wendy Lesko  |  301.785.1702  |  Wendy@DayoftheGirl.org

On October 11, there will be an explosion of celebrations for the first International Day of the Girl Child in Washington, Baltimore, New York City and hundreds of other cities around the world. Last December, the U.S. co-sponsored the United Nations General Assembly resolution that declares October 11 as the annual girls’ rights day.

School Girls Unite, a youth-led advocacy group located in Washington, D.C., will be recognized for single-handedly leading a yearlong national campaign for this International Day. Girls ranging from ages of 12 to 20 ran petition drives, sought endorsements, and met with government officials at the White House and U.S. State Department to galvanize grassroots support.

Joanne Conelley, who helped launch School Girls Unite as a seventh grader in 2004 and now serves as co-founder of the Day of the Girl campaign while a student at American University, says “We have dreams to achieve, and we’re tired of having society standing in our way. This historic Day of the Girl is a powerful way to get acquainted with local government and politics, and empower girls to make their voices heard.”

The Maryland Women’s Heritage Center will recognize the global impact of School Girls Unite on October 13. At this celebration in Baltimore, House Delegate Elizabeth Bobo will present the Maryland Day of the Girl Proclamation, written by School Girls Unite and signed by Governor O’Malley, that focuses on increasing the graduation rate among girls and girls participation in STEM. School Girls Unite students have written 10 action-oriented reports on local and global gender equality issues along with a 10.11.12 Toolkit that has led girls in nearly 100 cities to pursue proclamations. These resources and a proclamation list are available at www.DayoftheGirl.org.

The D.C. City Council proclamation focuses on the exploitation and sexual trafficking of girls In the nation’s capital. FAIR Girls together with its community partners Covenant House, Sasha Bruce Youthwork, Washington Area Women’s Foundation and DC Children & Youth Investment Trust Corporation, will hold the official International Day of the Girl proclamation ceremony and reception, hosted by NYU in Washington.

In addition to high-level meetings at the U.N., hundreds of Day of the Girl events are being organized from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon. These celebrations as well as events in dozens of countries are posted at www.DayoftheGirlSummit.com/events which is hosting a 10.11.12 Virtual Summit.

The idea of an International Day of the Girl has not been without detractors, some of whom suggested International Women’s Day is sufficient.  But School Girls Unite persisted in its efforts to raise awareness that gender stereotypes, discrimination, violence, and economic disparities disproportionately affect girls worldwide—while also highlighting the positive role girls can play in their communities

For additional information about this youth-driven national campaign, including the feisty blog responding to criticism that our Day of the Girl logo is too aggressive, please visit www.DayoftheGirl.org and www.SchoolGirlsUnite.org.

For Immediate Release  |  Contact:  Wendy Lesko  |  301-785-1702  |  Wendy@DayoftheGirl.org

Maryland Women’s Heritage Center to Host First International Day of the Girl Celebration

Local girls who led U.S. campaign for new United Nations Day will help kick off new girls rights day

Baltimore–The first International Day of the Girl is will be celebrated on Saturday, October 13th from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center as part of Free Fall Baltimore. The United Nations has established a global girls’ rights day that will be celebrated on October 11 each year. While nearly 100 cities in the U.S. have recognized this day, Maryland was the first state to declare October 11 the Day of the Girl. House Delegate Elizabeth Bobo will present this official proclamation, written by School Girls Unite and signed by Gov. Martin O’Malley. It promises to be a historic celebration for this new commemorative day that started right here in Maryland.

Girl Scouts of Central Maryland also will participate in the celebration on October 13. Two sisters, who made presentations to the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus in Washington, will speak about their Girl Scout Gold Award projects which are aimed at helping Burmese-Chin refugees acclimate to American life.

Joanne Conelley, who helped launch School Girls Unite as a seventh grader in 2004 and now serves as co-founder of the Day of the Girl campaign while a student at American University, says “We have dreams to achieve, and we’re tired of having society standing in our way. This historic Day of the Girl is a powerful way to get acquainted with local government and politics, and empower girls to make their voices heard.”

Thirteen-year-old Marisa of School Girls Unite said, “After officially making October 11 the Day of the Girl, I feel very accomplished and filled with pride because it took a lot of teamwork to make this big change!” In addition to meeting these young activists, this celebration will feature inspiring activities all organized by School Girls Unite, including Global Equality Now, a video game show produced by Hammond Middle School students in Ellicott City. Another booth will focus on one in seven girls worldwide who become child brides and seek signatures on a letter urging Secretary Hillary Clinton to develop a comprehensive strategy to end this human rights crisis. School Girls from Harper’s Choice Middle School in Columbia will have a hands-on activity to shatter stereotypes of girls in the media. The photo booth run by Oakland Mills Middle School students in Columbia will invite people to complete statements such as “Why A Day…” and these pictures will be made into a movie to be shown right before a raffle with prizes including a Day of the Girl t-shirt designed by two sisters and School Girls Unite’s book, Girls Gone Activist! How to Change the World through Education.

School Girls Unite played a critical role in the establishment of the International Day of the Girl. A multicultural, multi-generational organization based in Maryland, School Girls Unite led a successful campaign to mobilize U.S. support. During 2011, students ran petition drives, sought endorsements, and met with government officials at the White House and U.S. State Department to galvanize support an annual girls’ rights day. Since 2004, School Girls and its sister organization in Mali, West Africa, have been relentless advocates for the rights of every girl in the world to go to school, frequently meeting with Members of Congress and parliamentarians in Bamako. These young activists have written 10 action-oriented reports on local and global gender injustice including negative media images, Title IX, girls’ dropout crisis, child marriage and gender-based violence along with the Day of the Girl Toolkit that are available on their website: www.DayoftheGirl.org.
For more information, please visit www.SchoolGirlsUnite.org and www.DayoftheGirl.org or contact Wendy Lesko at wendy@DayoftheGirl.org. For directions and parking for this free event at Maryland Women’s Heritage Center in Baltimore, refer to http://www.mdwomensheritagecenter.org/directions.

]]> http://dayofthegirl.org/2012/10/maryland-womens-heritage-center-to-host-first-international-day-of-the-girl-celebration/feed/ 0 http://dayofthegirl.org/2012/10/speech-to-the-national-education-association/ http://dayofthegirl.org/2012/10/speech-to-the-national-education-association/#comments Sun, 07 Oct 2012 15:22:15 +0000 Joanne C. http://dayofthegirl.org/?p=1871

Eliana Stanislawski, president of the School Girls Unite high school chapter in Montgomery County, Maryland, presented this speech to the 170-member board of the National Education Association in Washington, D.C., just days before her 17th birthday and the first-ever UN International Day of the Girl.

Fill in the blank: Girls’ rights are important to me because *blank*. This sounds like a simple question, but it’s more difficult than it seems. We all want to give some vague answer like “girls deserve rights too,” which is true, but this is not enough. We need to remember more specifically why girls’ rights are important, or else it will slip from our minds. I’m going to ask that you please think about this blank.  I will come back to this question at the end.

I will be seventeen years old in four days. In the birth lottery, I drew the straw that landed me in a Montgomery County family, with access to one of the best public school systems in the nation. I’m standing before you today because I was blessed enough to have been invested in.

I am here representing the Day of the Girl Campaign, an initiative that in this country is led by School Girls Unite, an organization which advocates for the UN Millennium Development Goals, specifically gender equality, universal basic education, child marriage prevention and other human rights issues. The goal of the Day of the Girl is to highlight, celebrate, discuss, and advance girls’ lives and opportunities across the globe.

On December 19, 2011 the United Nations officially declared October 11 the International Day of the Girl. There are Day of the Girl campaigns going on in nearly 100 other countries. This is amazing, but still, I know what you’re thinking, because when the Day of the Girl idea was first proposed to me I had the same thought: So, it’s a commemorative day. So what?

The International Day of the Girl isn’t just about being aware of issues. Learning about problems does not solve them, there has to be value in that knowledge that incites action. In the US campaign we began a Proclamation Project, which encourages girls across the country to seek Day of the Girl proclamations from their local and state governments. In doing this, girls are not only educated on the issues plaguing women and girls worldwide, but they also come to understand the structure of their government and become empowered through taking action.

The next question that comes to mind is this: why a day for just girls? Don’t we live in a world where everyone is relatively equal now? And my response to that is “No. We don’t.” By 2015, girls will make up 64% of the world’s illiterate adult population, and worldwide, only 30% of girls are enrolled in secondary school.

When girls reach puberty they are constantly in danger. They are children in women’s bodies, and yet one-in-seven girls in developing counties is married before age 18. Girls as young as 11 are sold into sex trafficking with 1.2 million children being trafficked every year, in almost every country including the U.S.

As educators you are all responsible for shaping how students are going to perceive the world. The empowerment of girls is not just a feminist agenda; it is vital to ensure economic stability and to alleviate poverty. Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl Wu Dunn wrote in their book Half the Sky that when feminism “is dubbed a ‘women’s issue,’ then it will already have failed.” As such influential members of the education community, passion for girls’ equity is something that the NEA has always championed. The 40-year success of Title IX is just one example.

And now, back to my initial question. Why are girls’ rights important to you? Is it because a nine-year-old girl should not be married into sex slavery for a man three to four times her age? Is it because if girls aren’t in school, all of these other dangers become exponentially more pressing?

Girls face inequality in nearly every aspect of our lives, and what affects us locally affects us internationally. Most girls in our world were not born into societies that even value the education of girls. I’m lucky to be here, but that’s all I am. I’m lucky. I want every girl to be as lucky as I have been, and to have the opportunity to lead a safe, fulfilled life. I don’t think that’s a lot to ask.

I hope you will bring the Proclamation Project back to your schools and share it with your students, and also encourage them to participate in our livestream virtual summit at our partner site dayofthegirlsummit.com. Information is listed on the cards you received earlier. Please tweet your reason why girls’ rights are important to you with the #DayoftheGirl, “like” us on facebook, and continue to spread the word about October 11.

Thank you.

Election day is less than two months away, and the country is covered in political campaigns, political ads, and canvasses. I’ll be voting come November. But this is the first Presidential election I can vote in, since I was too young last time.

Protest in 2005. (Yes, everyone pictured here has been involved in the Day of the Girl campaign!) Photo by Emily Menase

The Census estimates that 23.7% of the US is under the age of 18. That is a LOT of people, people who cannot vote, and thus don’t have a traditional voice in the future of our country.

But I said a “traditional voice.” Just because you can’t vote doesn’t mean you don’t have a say, and can’t make your opinions heard. That’s why the Day of the Girl is so great. It’s a way for youth to get involved in local government, to have YOUR representatives hear what you have to say, and actually get something proclaimed to show for it. A Day of the Girl proclamation is the first step to further involvement, since it’s quick and easy, and familiarizes people with the ways of local government. Come October 12, I want you to go back to your local officials about a real, pressing problem in your community, and I want you to tell them what you think, tell them what you think should be done. Come November 6, I want you to launch a letter-writing campaign, or a petition, or an awareness campaign, or SOMETHING, in your community, so that your community hears about a problem, hears about your ideas for solutions, and gets moving. Come 2013, I want you to change the world.

You don’t have to vote to have a say in the leadership of the country. You can be the leadership, and you don’t have to be 18.

(Also, if you can vote, make sure you do! I highly recommend looking into the backgrounds of all local and national candidates that you can vote for. It’s your right to vote, but I think it’s your responsibility to make an informed vote!)

“Why should we bother getting a proclamation for this? What’s a piece of paper going to do to change anything?”
You might think that a Day of the Girl Proclamation is a merely symbolic act. (And okay, it is pretty symbolic.) But I think it’s more than that. I think getting your city or county to proclaim the Day of the Girl is a 100% worthwhile action, one that can inspire others, and get you started on even more concrete change-making moves. Here are some reasons why:

1. A proclamation demonstrates leadership and initiative by YOU.

2. A proclamation is a tool for girls to express concerns about specific gender inequalities.

Day of the Girl Proclamation, Maryland

3. A proclamation amplifies the diverse views and voices of girls across America.

4. A proclamation increases awareness about this new annual girls’ rights day.

5. A proclamation empowers girls by helping them build direct connections with their elected representatives.

6. A proclamation brings these issues to the attention of city leaders because it must be approved by all councilmembers.

7. A proclamation turns an uninviting city council into a familiar arena, which can lead to ongoing civic participation.

8. A proclamation highlights the importance of elected officials who determine what programs to fund and what laws to pass that affect everyone.

9. A proclamation reveals that not all politicians are like the obnoxious people on TV.

10. A proclamation gives added weight to your Day of the Girl event by having a city councilmember speak and officially present the declaration.

11. A proclamation serves as a kickoff for future gender justice community action.

Interested?  Check out our free 10.11.12 Proclamation Project Toolkit!

Convinced? Let us know you are taking the lead in your city and take a moment to register!

According to “Wed and Tortured at 13, Afghan Girl Finds Rare Justice,” after about six months of marriage, her uncle found his niece nearly lifeless, tied up in a windowless cellar. Unlike most child brides, who remain invisible, treated like slaves, and have no legal justice, Sahar is now free and her in-laws have been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Thanks to a women’s shelter in Kabul, Sahar is reportedly regaining her physical and emotional health.

Recovering from this unimaginable nightmare is remarkable. What is even more remarkable is that Sahar’s courage extends to society as a whole. She declares her ambition:

“I want to become a politician and stop other women suffering the same.”

Sahar already imagines herself smack in the center of the arena where laws are made. Not silenced or stuck on the sidelines. She recognizes the importance of creating policies that affect everyone. She seems to know how essential it is for women to participate fully and equally with men, especially on fundamental human rights and legal protections.

It’s ironic that in many young democracies around the world, women are gaining parity with male lawmakers, yet here in America, men still make up 80 percent at every level of government from city councils to Congress. To have a truly diverse and representative democracy, we need more girls in the U.S. to think like Sahar!

Note: One in seven girls worldwide are married off before age 16. Want to get involved? Check out Child Marriage: Tragic Tradition

-Wendy

Using a computer!

The Internet is a pretty great tool for everything from learning about lions and tigers, to ordering enough food to feed some bears, oh my! It’s ALSO a pretty great way to organize people, and get them involved in your cause.

3. You can RALLY PEOPLE!! Not only can you give them info, and count their numbers, you can ask people to actually take ACTION! That’s what we’re doing with the Day of the Girl and the Proclamation Project, which you can find out about all over our site. Another way people are connecting with the Day of the Girl is via a Virtual Summit! Register there and you can take part in the digital challenges and events being run now through October 11th. Pretty rad!

So while you’re busy calling your local representatives, get involved online too! Share links and intel with your amigas easily on Facebook, catch informative videos (and hopefully some funny ones…), and register to participate in the Virtual Summit!