In her first letter as Co-CEO, Kate Kiama reflects on She’s the First’s growth in 2024 and discusses her and Tammy Tibbett’s shared vision to ensure more girls access education and mentorship, creating lasting change for gender equality worldwide.
“As Tammy and I firmly ground ourselves in our new roles at the turn of She’s the First’s 15th anniversary, our objective is to build powerful new partnerships to scale our model for depth and influence. Our ultimate goal is stronger outcomes for girls’ education, leadership, and agency, particularly in the Global South/majority world; by expanding and deepening our programming, we can accomplish that for more girls. At the same time, we know our mission will be more relevant than ever for girls in the U.S. as we support their activism for their rights during a fearful time in the country.”
Following the U.S. election results, She’s the First spoke with girls in our Chapters program who live in states and areas where women’s bodies are politicized. A university student from Arizona said that men on her campus held signs that said, “Women are property.” A girl from a high school in Texas told us that boys were walking around the hallway saying, “Your body, my choice.” The use of these phrases online has also spiked dramatically.
We wanted to see what two alums of our Girl Activist Fellowship thought about the rise of sexist discourse and what girls can do to fight back. Allison Choong, 21, of Penang, Malaysia, and Sania Hammad, 19, from Kansas, U.S, are two of the five co-authors of Safiya Speaks Up!, a children’s book about safety from sexual violence—which they created during their She’s the First fellowship. The book and mentor’s guide have been available for 15 months, and in that time, more than 7,000 girls were introduced to Safiya and learned how to identify safe adults in their lives.
In this conversation, Allison and Sania talk about how they’re tackling significant issues like sex education, reproductive health, and gender-based violence at a time when women’s rights are challenged.
Kavita loved studying and was excited to be enrolled in school again after dropping out during the pandemic at age 13. When she started missing class again because she didn’t have reliable transportation, her mentors at our partner Sahas Foundation stepped in to help.
Mary Jonas attends mentorship sessions with GLAMI, She’s the First’s partner in Tanzania. Only 39% of girls in Tanzania go to secondary school. Of those, only two-thirds complete their secondary education, and only 3% go on to university.
With support from you and She’s the First, GLAMI is working to change those outcomes, one girl at a time.
Mercy Nandutu is a nuclear engineer earning her second master’s degree—in fact, she’s the first person from her village in Uganda ever to become a nuclear engineer. “If that young girl from my past could witness my journey to becoming a nuclear engineer, she would undoubtedly feel an overwhelming sense of empowerment and possibility,” reflected Mercy. “Seeing my achievements, she would believe that she is capable of overcoming any obstacle and achieving her dreams. She would feel a sense of representation and validation in seeing someone like herself excel in the field.”
“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.
