Tonight I was at BootCamp surrounded by other women working our asses off and basically sweating all over the place. On my way home I thought about what life would be like if we, as women, were not allowed to do such things because we are girls. What if I couldn't wear that pink top I wore today or if I couldn't pick who I wanted to spend my life with. What if I couldn't be writing this right now.... because I am a girl. I thought about situations I have experienced where perhaps I was meeting girls who in fact were not allowed to live to their full potential because they are a girl.
When we were in Guatemala we went for a hike in the rainforest and there was a group of children who followed us around. My first thought was 'why the heck aren't they in school?' so I asked our guide who told me that they can not afford to send the boys to school. There was no consideration that the girls would go to school if there was the money.
When we were in Nicaragua we were walking through a market looking at local crafts. There were teenage boys dressed in school uniforms all over the market. They were there to help tourists barter for goods and also it would help them with their English skills. We saw no girls...only boys and were told that in this particular area it was because most girls were not sent to high school due to cost.
With the Election happening this week in Ontario it has made me think about what my life would be like if I was not allowed to vote. What if I wasn't allowed to have a say in the future of our province and country? I spent tonight on Twitter with other moms talking about the election as part of #momthevote and I seriously can not imagine not having the freedom or means to be able to have these conversations, relationships and freedoms. But there are girls all over the world that don't have this and honestly it makes me sad.
What if because I am a girl was a positive thing everywhere. I can go to school because I am a girl. I can be whatever I want to be because I am a girl. I can decide my own life path because I am a girl. I will stand up for myself because I am a girl. I can wear pink and dance in the street because I am a girl. What can we do to make this a reality? We can raise awareness by educating others about the injustice girls experience around the world simply because they are a girl. Currently girls get less than 2 cents of every aid dollar so we can sponsor girls so they can have the funding they need to attend school and reach their goals. We can empower girls to put their health first and give them the tools to protect themselves against diseases.
What if because I am a girl was a positive thing everywhere. I can go to school because I am a girl. I can be whatever I want to be because I am a girl. I can decide my own life path because I am a girl. I will stand up for myself because I am a girl. I can wear pink and dance in the street because I am a girl. What can we do to make this a reality? We can raise awareness by educating others about the injustice girls experience around the world simply because they are a girl. Currently girls get less than 2 cents of every aid dollar so we can sponsor girls so they can have the funding they need to attend school and reach their goals. We can empower girls to put their health first and give them the tools to protect themselves against diseases.
You can read more Girl Effect Campaign blog posts here. If you feel inspired write your own and link it up!
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What a powerful post!! I hope that we, as global citizens, can turn it around so that "because I am a girl" does become a positive, proud statement! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteHow awesome would it be if being a girl was as awesome everywhere as it can be for us here!
ReplyDeletePowerful post! We are so lucky to have the choices we do, and it's easy to forget that this is not the case for all girls around the world.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up at Green & Natural Mamas Thursday again!