We spoke with two of our Girl Activist Fellows about sex education, the spread of misinformation in their communities, and what changes they want to see. Sydney, 17, who lives in a conservative rural town in Massachusetts, U.S., pointed out that abstinence-only programs cause harm. Faith Boke, 21, from Kuria, Kenya, shared how her community faces shame and misinformation about menstruation and reproductive health. They talked about the need for thorough and inclusive sex education to clear up myths and reduce the stigma around reproductive health.
Our Co-Founder and CEO, Tammy Tibbetts, reflects on the past 12 years since the first International Day of the Girl.
On September 21, 2024, in New York City, more than 50 young women from around the world—including the youngest Nobel Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai and representatives from four She’s the First programs!—gathered to take United Nations member states to task for failing to prioritize girls and young women in the planning and content of the Summit of the Future.
The latest edition of The Girl Gazette is here! This edition highlights an incredible poem about girls’ leadership, a critical essay about a patriarchal community, and body-positive artwork encouraging girls to end period stigma.
After months of meticulous preparation, the 8th iteration of the Girls First Summit in Nairobi and the first-ever Summit in Uganda finally arrived! Girls First Summit, hosted by She’s the First, brings together courageous women who work with underserved girls to strengthen their programs, learn practical ways to build girls' power in their communities, and network.
After months of meticulous preparation, the 8th iteration of the Girls First Summit in Nairobi and the first-ever Summit in Uganda finally arrived! Girls First Summit, hosted by She’s the First, brings together courageous women who work with underserved girls to strengthen their programs, learn practical ways to build girls' power in their communities, and network.
Our staffer Florence Sidi reflects on a transformative week at The Adolescent Girls Summit in Liberia, which equipped over 150 girls from seven West African countries with tools and knowledge to navigate adolescence with grace and resilience. The event featured inspiring speeches, hands-on training with our What Would You Do? (WWYD?) card game, and workshops on critical topics like social media advocacy and reproductive health. Highlights included the introduction of our Period Diary toolkit and an empowering call to action shared with high-level dignitaries. The summit's legacy of empowerment and growth will inspire and uplift young women across West Africa, igniting a brighter future for generations to come.
She’s the First hosted the seventh iteration of the Virtual Girls First Summit in September, two months after the in-person summit in Nairobi. The Girls First Summit is an annual convening of girl-centered organizations for knowledge-sharing and targeted training, with local and global insights on best practices for supporting girls’ rights. The virtual summit brought together 90 practitioners from 11 countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, India, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Zambia, Ghana, and Malawi. The participants left with practical tools and unique strategies to increase girls’ agency.
“My key takeaway is legacy and the power of vision!” wrote Training Manager Emma Mogaka of her recent visit to our Ugandan partner Arlington Academy of Hope. Members of our programs team witnessed our partner’s work in action and led customized trainings in girl-centered design for the organization’s staff, as well as sexual and reproductive health and rights workshops for the girls.
“Mentors shared that they see transformation in the girls when they commence the program within a year. They reported that girls become more self-aware, more confident, and feel safe sharing their opinions and views.” Our Director of Programs & Impact Kate Kiama reflected on her recent visit to our long-time partner GLAMI in an update for our news site. GLAMI has benefited 11,400 Tanzanian girls to date through phenomenal four- and two-year life-skills and leadership training programs.
The Swahili word “Msichana” translates to “girl.” Our new partner Msichana Empowerment Kuria (MEK) is a women-led and girl-centric nonprofit organization that stands firmly behind the concept its name represents.
Recently, members of our programs team traveled to Migori County, Kenya, to learn more about this grassroots organization through talks with their program staff and the girls they serve.
We’re proud to announce the 15 women-led organizations taking part in our Partner Coalition for the next three years! Through the She's the First Partner Coalition, we provide transformational funding and support to community-based organizations (we call them CBOs) serving girls in the Global South.
Our active cohort consists of 15 CBOs in 10 countries, engaging 9,475 girls across East and West Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. Together, we increase girls' agency and leadership through feminist mentorship programs.
