Who thinks every girl should have the right to an education?
Yes! Every hand in the room went up when I recently attended a day of workshops designed for girls between grades 3 to 6. Over 250 girls and their teachers from various schools were invited to take part in the one day event held in Toronto on International Day of the Girl (October 11) and hosted by Plan Canada and Dove Self Esteem Fund Canada.
Plan Canada‘s BECAUSE I AM A GIRL campaign empowers and educates girls about equality and self-esteem. In the conference room full of typical chatty girls, it was surprising for them to learn that there are girls their age that are denied education. I overheard a girl saying to to another “Can you believe it? They WANT to go to school and she’s a girl and she’s not allowed to?”
The “Raise Your Hands for Girls” themed workshops were lead by Lisa Naylor, counsellor and health educator for girls and women in Winnipeg and Toronto, and advisor to the Dove Self-Esteem Fund. Naylor has been involved with Dove Self Esteem Fund for 7 years in Canada and sees when girls are more educated in self esteem they are more capable of achieving their goals. “The workshops help girls understand themselves in a more positive way and to help them hold on to their community, their culture and to help them feel good about themselves,” says Naylor. “We talked about the pressures and barriers they face everyday just from being a girl.” What was interesting to Naylor was the pressures that are impacting this young group. “For the first time in the 7 years I’ve been doing these workshops, this is the youngest age group who has brought up their awareness of being sexy. That was interesting!”
The workshops focused on education and empowerment of girls here and around the world. Workshops also included self-esteem topics as it relates to girls being confident in their ideas and being heard in their schools and communities. Activities included presentations, discussions, and videos.
“When you create a space for girls, it’s amazing to see what they recognize and want to discuss about themselves and their community, ” says Naylor.
There are interesting resources found about the Dove Self-Esteem Initiative here at www.Dove.ca with tools that inspire girls to take action in their lives and to reach their full potential.
Events were planned around the world in recognition of International Day of the Girl including landmarks lit up in pink!
Please check out BECAUSE I AM A GIRL Facebook page at www.facebook.com/becauseiamagirlcanada for amazing stories about girls around the world.
Now, did you know that women reinvest 90% of their earnings into their family, which strengthens their communities?
Check this video out to understanding why educating girls matter…
Thank you to Dove Canada for inviting us to join in this day of recognition and learning about the importance of empowering and educating girls around the world!