Aliza Puri, an STF Youth Ambassador from Nepal, wrote this poem as a letter to the world from every girl who has been abused, who finds it hard to come forward and ask for justice because she is too scared and embarrassed—until she decides to fight for herself.
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.
We, the undersigned girl-centered organizations, express our deep concern and condemnation regarding the alarming rise in femicides in Kenya. We stand in solidarity with our fellow women leaders in Kenya who are demanding that the President of Kenya declare femicide and violence against women and girls a national disaster. The government must take swift and decisive measures to protect lives and ensure justice for the victims.
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. This project was created, written, and illustrated by fellows between the ages of 15 and 21 across Malaysia, Kenya, the Philippines, and the United States.
A girl with an education is unstoppable—but barriers like gender discrimination, poverty, and exploitation prevent many girls from reaching graduation.
Our Youth Ambassadors created the Power of Poetry campaign to amplify girls' voices about this issue for National Poetry Month and the Global Week of Action for Education. Girls aged 11 to 22 from Afghanistan, India, Guatemala, Kenya, Malaysia, Morocco, Nepal, Nigeria, South Sudan, the U.K., and the U.S. submitted their work.
At She’s the First, we believe in taking a girl-centered and anti-oppressive approach to all we do. Girls know their needs better than anyone, which is why we ethically include girls in our decision-making processes and in our program evaluation. To ensure that girls have a vote and a voice at the highest level within our organization, we reserve two seats on our Board of Directors for girls. Two girls are elected by their peers in the Girls Advisory Council to fill these roles.
