SAFIYA SPEAKS UP
A Children’s Book About Safety from Violence
By Girls, For Girls

Join Safiya as she learns to use her voice and speak up about what makes her uncomfortable.

An illustration of a little girl in a yellow dress with pigtails

Safiya Speaks Up is a one-of-a-kind book that follows a young girl as she navigates the distinction between uncomfortable and safe interactions in her community.

This project was created, written, and illustrated by She’s the First Girl Activist Fellows between the ages of 15 and 21 across Malaysia, Kenya, the Philippines, and the United States.

In Safiya Speaks Up, Safiya learns the difference between safe and unsafe touch and identifies three trustworthy adults in her life. The accompanying Mentor’s Guide provides additional information, context, and resources so that trusted adults can help girls understand Safiya’s story and how they can use the tools that Safiya used.

Read Safiya Speaks Up to the girls in your life. Download the book and accompanying Mentor’s Guide at no cost by filling out the form below.

The book and Mentor’s Guide are available in English, Malay, and Tagalog.

The new Safiya Speaks Up children’s book and mentor guide have enabled me to come up with more friendly and practical ways to have young girls and teenage mums learn about safety from violence, whether physical, emotional, or sexual.
— A Mentor in our Girls First Institute

Read the first five pages below, then download the full book and mentor’s guide:

With this book, we hope to destigmatize such a heavy issue and provide increased awareness and education around this topic.
— Co-Author Annika Renganathan, 17, U.S.

Download the Book & Mentor's Guide


Safiya Speaks Up was created the following Girl Activist Fellows:

Hannah Beechler
Allison Choong
Sania Hammad
Yatee Kapoor
Anya Legarda
Grace Owino
Annika Renganathan