Investing in girls' education and leadership is essential for advancing gender equality. On October 3, She’s the First and Rise Up hosted a virtual event, "The Power of Girls' Education and Leadership: A Spotlight on Africa," to highlight the efforts of young leaders transforming their communities. Alumni from both organizations discussed the challenges and potential of girls' education in Africa, with She’s the First Girls Advisory Council members Sukeji Modi and Njeri emphasizing the role of local leadership and mentorship in tackling issues like teen pregnancy and menstrual poverty.
The Girl Gazette is Here!
The latest edition of The Girl Gazette is here! This edition features a powerful poem about girls' leadership, an important essay about a patriarchal community, and artwork that encourages girls to end period stigma and feel good about their bodies.
The Girl Gazette shares girls' voices from around the world who work with our Partner Coalition organizations. Girls from She’s the First’s Partner Coalition express themselves through art, poetry, and essays about their experiences.
Education! Education! Education!
By Hellen Kiden Angelo, South Sudan, a student with our partner Caring Hearts Initiative for Community Development
Education! Education! Education!
Education is the key to life
When people look at me,
They see I am different from others
My religion, my colour my blood
They think I am not educated
But I am proud of myself for not giving up
for loving my family
for wanting help my country
and for getting my education
My religion is peaceful, my colour is beautiful
My blood is Somali
My mother pushed me to get my education
Even through when I was young
I thought I was punishment
But now I cherish what I have learned
Knowing that without education I would be lifeless
Education is what make me to be a brave girl
Without education I am nothing
Hellen’s poem was also published in the September 2024 edition of The Girl Gazette, a biannual publication of artwork, poetry, and essays by girls in the She’s the First partner coalition.
Girls Challenge Gender Stereotyping in Rural India
By Preeti Yadav, 14, a student in India with our partner Sahas Foundation
Girls have right to education, and they should be allowed to study just as boys, so that they can achieve their dreams. And if somebody does anything wrong, then we can teach them a lesson. This happened when our school was closed for vacation; there was bhagwat (a religious gathering where a saint talks about gods and their teachings) going on.
I asked my grandmother, “Can I go and fill the kalash (a practice where a pot is filled with water from a nearby river.) She said that girls can’t go that far to fill the kalash. So, I can’t go to the river to fill the water because it is far away, (previously) I can’t be sent to the school because it is far away. If a boy would have asked, no one would have refused them. This is one of the cases where rights of girls are taken away.
Thanks to Sahas, I got to go back to school. I’m in 7th class.
Preeti’s essay was also published in the September 2024 edition of The Girl Gazette, a biannual publication of artwork, poetry, and essays by girls in the She’s the First partner coalition.
Graduating Made Me Feel Invincible: Yoselinda's Story
High up in the remote villages of the Andes in Peru, public schools are incredibly sparse. Children must walk several hours to the nearest elementary school and high schools are often only located in larger towns, too far from home for students to commute daily. Most high schools are located in city centers; for families experiencing poverty, the expense of sending their daughters to boarding school is out of reach.
But 18-year-old Yoselinda just graduated—she’s the first in her family to earn a high school diploma! She was supported by Sacred Valley Project, a dormitory, education center, and mentorship program, one of the 15 organizations in She’s the First's Partner Coalition.
Seré quien soy / I will be who I am
Autora: Wendy Palax, miembro del Consejo Asesor de Niñas de She's the First
Las miradas no fueron la herida, las palabras que me recorrían de arriba hacia abajo fue la nota más aguda que hubiera escuchado.
Los rostros eran los mismos, los mismos que dicen ser "Familia".
Los mismos que me llevaron a un gran abismo.
Los mismos que siguen sin creer.
Los mismos que juzgan sin saber.
Los mismos que dicen ser "Familia".
Esa tarde se convirtió en un lugar lleno de preguntas sin respuestas.
¿Dónde voy a vivir?
¿Con quién me debo casar?
¿Debo caerles bien?
¿Qué carrera llevar?
¿Cumpliré con los requisitos para no fallar?
Y sobre todo, el eco de las palabras rebotaban en mi mente.
"Eres mujer no pierdas vergüenza algún día"
Creí que no me había afectado
Creí que era ilusión mía
Creí que eran mentiras
Creí que debía aceptarlas para encajar.
Observé y me di cuenta que eran las mismas palabras y etiquetas, para ser aceptada en un mundo lleno de maldad y ciclos repetitivos.
Ciclos de etiquetas, requisitos, reglas. Para mantener un papel, orden y sobre todo ser aceptada.
¿Estoy en el camino correcto?
Me pregunté
Me observé
Me escuché
Me acepte
Me convertí
El espejo de mi habitación reflejó aquel puño de inseguridades a
un enredo de flores y espinas adornando la habitación.
Yo no quiero ser una más que dejó sus sueños anclados por la sociedad.
Mi voz será mi aliado para llegar a cada rincón.
No llevaré los requisitos de la sociedad.
No llevaré las reglas para ser aceptada.
Llevaré mis requisitos,
llevaré mis fallas a la sociedad.
Viviré disfrutado los días que vendrán.
Seré un rompecabezas
Seré la pieza faltante
Seré voz
Seré silencio
Seré la solución
Seré yo.
Una niña con educación es imparable- pero barreras como la discriminación de género, pobreza y explotación impiden que muchas niñas se graduen. Nuestras Jóvenes Embajadoras crearon la campaña El poder de la Poesía para amplificar las voces de las niñas sobre este tema para el Mes Nacional de la Poesía y la Semana de Acción Mundial por la Educación.
Wendy Palax, de 18 años, es una orgullosa mujer indígena maya y miembro del Consejo Asesor de Niñas de She's the First. Vive en Sololá, Guatemala. “Soy valiente y resistente y me dedico a aprender, comprender y lograr mis sueños. Quiero ser una líder en mi comunidad y en mi país. Quiero romper barreras y empoderar a otras. Soy una joven decidida. Soy una mujer indígena decidida. Romperé los estereotipos y demostraré que tenemos potencial”.
I will be who I am
The looks were not the wound, the words that ran up and down in me was the sharpest note that I’ve ever heard.
The faces were the same, the same that claim to be “Family”.
The same who took me to a large abyss.
The same who continues without believing.
The same who judge without knowing.
The same who claim to be “Family”.
This afternoon has turned into a place filled with questions without answers.
Where will I live?
Who should I marry?
Should they like me?
What career to take?
Will I meet the requirements not to fail?
And above all, the echo of the words that bounced in my mind.
“You are a woman, do not lose shame one day”.
I thought it had not affected me
I thought it was my illusion
I thought that they were lies
I thought that I should accept them to fit in.
I observed and I realized they were the same words and labels, to be accepted in a world filled with evil and repetitive cycles.
Cycles of labels, requirements, rules. To maintain a role, order, and above all be accepted.
Am I on the right path?
I asked myself
I observed myself
I listened to myself
I accepted myself
I became
The mirror in my room reflected that fist of insecurities to
a tangle of flowers and thorns adorning the room.
I don’t want to be one more that left her dreams anchored by society.
My voice will be my ally to reach every corner.
I will not bear the requirements of society.
I will not carry the rules to be accepted.
I will carry my requirements,
I will take my faults to society.
I will live enjoying the days to come.
I will be a puzzle
I’ll be the missing piece
I’ll be voice
I’ll be silence
I’ll be the solution
I will be me.
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 Poetry Month and the the Global Action Week for Education.
Wendy Palax, 18, is a proud Indigenous Maya woman and a member of the She’s the First Girls Advisory Council. She lives in Sololá, Guatemala. “I am brave and resilient and dedicated to learning, understanding, and achieving my dreams. I want to be a leader in my community and in my country. I want to break barriers and empower others. I am a determined young woman. I am a determined Indigenous woman. I will break stereotypes and prove we have potential.”
The Joy of Learning
Author: Aliza Puri, She’s the First Youth Ambassador
My grandmother learnt the first letter at 65
I remember her strive
To write her name
Thinking about how signing her name instead of thumb prints
Would be a changed game
For her.
I remember her eye beaming with pride
As she tried
To remember the letter and what they look like
And what they sound like
And I couldn't be happier for her.
My mom was married off in 9th grade.
The exchange of her education with household responsibility was not a fair trade.
Reading and writing Nepali is no big deal
But English is the real deal.
My mother can't understand my English poems
But she will still watch the whole video
And it has become a norm
For her to ask me for a translation
"K vaneko yo video ma Aliza?"
What are you saying in this video, Aliza?
But she is learning and even though she doesn't like to believe
At the age of 50 she is growing.
She is learning to read English
The words probably sound rubbish to her
She recently learnt to post her comments in social media
And she needs no body's help
Sometimes she may comment
"Beuteful" instead of "beautiful"
Under my picture
But I know what she meant
And I am proud of her
For me,
I love learning Maths and Sciences,
I love to read poems and stories in Nepali and english
I am amazed by learning how our body works in perfect coordination
How the systems in the earth work
And how this universe work
Thanks to the education that I have received
I learnt about the stars and sky
And the ants and fly
and moons and sun
and our heart and our brain
and men and women
and the rock and mountain
and the river and sea
and also about you and me.
But I also learnt that maybe you aren't as blessed as me.
And that makes me feel a little bit guilty
I feel greedy
For not being able to share everything that I have learnt so far
I feel angry
That sometimes those who can
Choose not to.
I hope someday,
All of us would learn about this amazing world, and our amazing body,
And amazing people in this world.
I hope one day,
All of us would learn and grow
Not just academically
But also as person
We will learn to be kinder and braver
And world would really be this amazing place
That I believe it is.
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 Poetry Month and the Global Action Week for Education.
Aliza Puri, 20, is a She's the First Youth Ambassador (and co-creator of the Power of Poetry campaign!). Currently studying medicine in Nepal, Aliza has been involved with She's the First since she was a student at our graduated partner Kopila Valley School! Aliza sees poetry as a creative outlet for her activism. Read her poem, "Dear World," 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.
Give Me a Pen
Author: Sukeji Modi, She’s the First Girls Advisory Council Member
Living in a world where I call my home
Yet I feel marginalized with pain & grieve
Asked questions as to why I felt so!
Society defined me in a way too doom!
I cry and mourn every to live my dreams
Give me a Pen!
Allow me to discover the lioness in me
That can change society and sprinkle a light
Far above all sentiments enacted on me
They call me names and put me in chains
Robbing all my dreams and fantasies
I want to live and make a change
Give me a pen!
Witnessing abuse and denial from school
Abandoned from play and all my games
Kept in dismay behind the walls
Hooked in toxic beliefs and wicked counsels
Kindly break the chain and hear my pen
Give me a pen!!
Perceived as a tool for marriage, a puppet, and less important human
Yet with my pen, I can do wonders
Liberate my world and speak justice
Unleashing all the pain and speaking the gain
The truth of my power and strength of my days
Give me a pen!
Ready to change history
Ready to break narratives
A rising of what empowerment means to every girl
It's every girl that has a pen that step in and brings the change
I need to rise to build myself
Give me a pen!
I dream so big every day
I need a school and a pair of shoes
I need some books and a piece of chalk
I want to read and write my truth
I want to fly and to reach the sky
Give me a pen!
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 Poetry Month and the Global Action Week for Education.
Sukeji Modi Sube, 21, is the Executive Director of Girls' Voices for Change in South Sudan. She is also a girl child activist, public speaker, and a member of the She's the First Girls Advisory Council. Currently, she is a first-year student at the University of Juba studying Medicine. She is passionate about fighting gender-based violence, empowering girls, leadership, creative art, and public speaking. During her free time, she likes to sing, dance and read.
I Use My Voice
Author: Camille S. Campbell, She’s the First Youth Ambassador
I use my voice to change the world
to help the silent to be heard.
For girls to choose their own path
to spread equality at last.
I use my voice for blocks to burst
for every girl to be the first.
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 Poetry Month and the Global Action Week for Education.
Camille S. Campbell, 18, is a She's the First Youth Ambassador (and co-creator of the Power of Poetry campaign!) She's also an award-winning author of four books, including Her Poems: Women Poets Who Changed the World. The #1 Amazon New Release is used in many classrooms. Camille’s writing has been recognized by The New York Times, Girls’ Life, Scholastic, Bow Seat, Penguin Random House, and various journals. She’s an education activist in her home state of Arizona, U.S. When she’s not writing, Camille enjoys silk painting, playing classical guitar, and reading mystery books. You can read more about her on camillescampbell.com.
Untitled
Author: Yellow Beams
i
do you think of women when you look at the sun-setting sky?
a half moment which lasts a good amount of time,
if only you pay some mind.
like how the potential of a girl,
can only be seen when you spare a piece of your time
to give her a good study.
then you decide,
“ah - isn’t she phenomenal,
how very unusual for her kind”
running on the same field of admiration,
eyes steered by blindness’ attention; how can you marvel in her direction
but not notice her arched back
and dark under eyes?
from working all her might,
for this singular sight.
thank god.
at least now the world knows.
ii
do you think of women when you look at the sun-setting sky?
a fleeting red of beauty,
but sometimes so bright it can scare me.
like how a woman is perceived,
when she’s on rear of a chariot filled
with the weight of earth entirely.
an attempt at being exemplary
grit, strength, all of the qualities
just to be misunderstood - mistaken for an ablaze wildfire
“what a mighty temper”
can you give me an answer, to why when a woman displays an ounce of courage
it is always mistaken as rage
as if red only portrays anger
not rigour.
iii
how much would you bet,
for her to make it back before the sun sets,
bound for home to assume the role she left off
atop her head lays an ambition
but for now there are bellies to be filled
bellies, she decided were always going to be more important than her dreams
and we ball it all into a mother’s sacrifice
all the while she plasters on a smile
to admit in bold
in the end i am just a woman
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 Poetry Month and the Global Action Week for Education.
This author chose to remain anonymous and publish under the pseudonym Yellow Beams. She is a 21-year-old student who spends most time either reading or watching youtube videos. “I'm trying out different creative forms as an outlet to my thoughts and as coping mechanism.” You can read more of her work on her Tumblr.