East Africa, Africa
She's the First
"Let Girls Lead"

Joan Kembabazi is a 25-year-old feminist activist who champions an end to child marriage and girls' education in Uganda. Joan is the Founder and Team leader of Gufasha Girls Foundation and is currently a fellow in She’s the First’s Girl-Centered Incubator.

Africa, Asia, East Africa, Latin America, South Asia, West Africa
She's the First
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.

Asia, South East Asia
She's the First
Safiya Speaks Up! Makes Waves in Southeast Asia

Safiya Speaks Up!, the impactful children's book developed by five She’s the First Girl Activist Fellows, is making significant strides in Southeast Asia through the efforts of two of its passionate authors and advocates, Anya Legarda and Allison Choong. It was created to educate young girls about combatting sexual violence and using their voices. Since its digital publication last fall, mentors and parents have shared Safiya’s story with more than 3,000 girls across the globe.

Safiya Speaks Up! Makes Waves in Southeast Asia
Africa, Asia, East Africa, Latin America, South Asia, West Africa
She's the First
Hot Off the Presses: The Girl Gazette!

Check out the newest issue of The Girl Gazette: Volume 5, Issue 1 for Winter 2024! The Girl Gazette amplifies the voices of girls globally and empowers them through art, poetry, and more. We highlight girls around the globe who are a part of our Partner Coalition organizations.

Hot Off the Presses: The Girl Gazette!
Africa, East Africa
She's the First
A Youth Ambassador’s Reflections on the Girls ...

Youth Ambassador Gladys Njeri shares her experience participating in the Girls First Summit, She’s the First’s annual event that brings together organizations for knowledge-sharing and targeted training, with local and global insights on best practices for supporting girls’ rights.

A Youth Ambassador’s Reflections on the Girls First Summit

equality

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Girls Challenge Gender Stereotyping in Rural India

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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
 

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.

A Woman Rises

By Punya, 18, India

In shadows cast by doubt and fear,
A woman rises, strong and clear.

Her spirit, fierce, a beacon bright,
Empowered soul, a guiding light.
With every stride, she breaks the chains,
Defies the echoes of old refrains.

In unity, her strength unfolds,
A tapestry of stories told.

No longer bound by biased views,
She paints the world in vibrant hues.
Her voice, a melody of might,
Resounds through every day and night.

In resilience, she finds her grace,
A symphony of strength, embrace.
Empowerment, a flame untamed,

A legacy by her name proclaimed.
Through trials faced and battles won,
A woman's journey's never done.

United, let our voices ring,
In empowerment, together sing.

Punya is an 18-year-old teen who is driven by a fierce passion through various forms of creative writing, including poetry. Through her dedication to reading, writing, and learning, Punya has cultivated a deep curiosity about the world around her and a desire take a meaningful impact on the society. She was previously published by She’s the First as part of the Power of Poetry campaign.

Artwork provided by British Library/Unsplash