Click to view the series.

Who: Laura

Where: England

What: Laura started the Everyday Sexism Project that 10,000 people from around the world have joined to help with. She was a victim of sexual abuse and was brave enough to tell someone about it. After her experience, she started the blog to help other girls and women tell their stories. The Everyday Sexism project was key in the #FBRape campaign which ended the social networking site’s prevalent acceptance of misogynistic pages.

Shero Status: Laura is a shero because she is standing up for what she believes is right. She is helping other women cope with the idea that they were victims of sexual abuse, and her blog makes women feel safe sharing their stories. She was not too scared to let people know that they should do the right thing, and that the wrong things needed to stop. By reading Laura’s blog, people everywhere discover the underlying sexism of our lives and gain knowledge of critical and key issues facing women and girls in the contemporary world. Her 10,000 followers, women and men, are all making a difference with her.

A panel convened to discuss child marriage, a widespread and tragic cultural practice around the globe.

Yesterday, eager men and women gathered at the Wilson Center to talk about the pressing issue of child marriage. Panelists Patrick Crump, Jeff Edmeades, Annabel Erulkar, Margaret Greene, Carla Koppell, Dr. Anju Malhotra, Jennifer Redner, and Dr. Feven Tassew talked about the facts and solutions to child marriage.

The experts agreed that support needs to go to prevention of child marriage and to support of girls in marriage. Dr. Anju talked about the cycle of child marriage: as a girl is married off, she ends her chance of getting educated, opens herself to possibility of poverty and violence, increases her risk of HIV, often experiences early age pregnancy and raises her chances of those children being lost to infant mortality.

Education is the answer to ending child marriage. Once a girl is educated, she commands more social respect and typically will wait to have children. She will be more equipped to assert her independence and negotiate with her husband about money. She will be more likely to help educate her own children. Many panelists included that economic incentives coincide with helping girls exercise their human rights. They agreed that economic power and women’s health issues had a significant relationship.

The panelists also talked about their own studies on child marriage. Patrick Crump studied the practice in Egypt, where he found 91% of girls between ages 10-19 are genitally mutilated. He explained that boys need to be allies in order for child marriage to end. Crump performed a study where he talked to boys for eleven sessions; before the sessions 15% of boys wanted to help girls get an education, while after the sessions 45% of boys did. Ultimately, teaching child marriage practicing communities about the importance of girls’ education was key.

The final question that was raised in the audience after the panelists talked was controversial: a woman asked “why do we not call child marriage rape?” Ultimately, marriage includes signing documents, having ceremonies, and exercising religion. However, if someone looks past the ceremonies and culture, marriage between an older man and a young girl with sexual intercourse is technically rape.

Despite a variety of life experiences, research and factually-based knowledge on the issue, and a wealth of perspectives, the panel agreed unanimously on one thing: that this global issue which binds young girls into sub-standard qualities of life needs to be acknowledged and challenged.

Click to view the series.

Who: Nazma.

Where: Kolkata, India.

What: Nazma is homeless on the  streets of India, yet she still found a way to get educated. She discovers ways to study with all the noise of businesses and traffic.

Shero Status: Nazma is a shero because she is the first person in her family to become educated. She is dedicated to sending her children to school, too. Nazma is aware of her rights and will be a future fighter in order to keep them. Nazma found resources that enabled her to go to school, and she’s an example of the opportunity GLI wants all girls to have:

Nazma, in Kolkata, India; called a pavement dweller because she lives on the street in a makeshift tenement with her mother and siblings. The sounds and images of the Kolkata street make a distinct impression: peering eyes, constant noise, fear and exposure. But Nazma is going to school. Her uniform is a source of pride and possibility; a way to be different and a way to change her life.

Click to view the series.

Girls Learn International began as a conversation: as three feminists read about issues in their newspapers, they decided to make a difference. GLI began when Ms. Alter and her two daughters Jordana and Ariel founded the organization in 2003, and this year marks our 10th anniversary. Were we ever so young? It’s been a wonderful decade of helping girls recognize the potential they can reach and the leader that they can become. GLI was founded to empower girls by helping them receive an education. Today, helping girls get this education opens the door to solving troubling problems such as child marriage, sex trafficking, and lack of health choices.

With over 100 chapters in 23 states, GLI is raising awareness at both the local and national level. Just this year, two GLI representatives spoke on the floor of the UN. We are informing people around the globe in a wealth of communities about the important issues that are holding girls back.This work is important, but we’re not without our own inspirations – many of which are the very girls we work with and see doing valuable work that shapes ours. In order to celebrate GLI’s success in helping girls for the past ten years, for the next six weeks we’ll be embarking on a blog series called 30 Days of Sheroes. Each day, we’ll feature one of 30 girls or women from around the world that we’ve selected for the celebration, so stay tuned!

We’re looking forward to celebrating our anniversary by honoring girls and women doing important work right now, on the ground, and making significant changes and impacts. Progress comes from contributors of all ages and backgrounds, and many times the most awe-inspiring among us don’t get their due praise. Those we feature will come from a variety of places and life experiences, but what unites all 30 of our sheroes are the nobility and leadership that have brought them to success.

As we look forward to the next ten years, it’s going to be refreshing to reflect on the amazing actions and progress we’ve seen for the last ten. We hope you’ll join us!

Cooking Oil, a new play about girls education, foreign aid and corruption premieres tonight in Los Angeles.  GLI student, Jade Harvey and GLI’s program director, Ashley Steimer-King will lead the post-performance discussion on Sunday, June 9, 2013 at 2 pm. Go to www.cookingoilplay.com for tickets.

Check out the story on the Ms. magazine blog!

In Afghanistan under the Taliban government, women and girls lost their freedom of movement – they were completely

excluded from any social life. Girls were banned from attending school and their

A class at the Sediqi Girls High in Parwan, Afghanistan

schools were burned down to ashes.  After the fall of the Taliban regime and with the intervention of the international community, girls regained their rights and were able to get an education again. The good news is that right now almost 34% of girls in Afghanistan are attending school.

Recently, I visited Afghanistan and Pakistan in order to gain a greater sense of the state of girls’ education in both countries. I witnessed the challenges to educating girls and saw how the Feminist Majority Foundation can assist to further girls’ goals of obtaining a quality education. Also, I found some partner schools for Girls Learn International.

One school in particular stands out in my mind.  Sediqi Girls High in Parwan, is in a dire state and in need of immediate assistance. The Taliban burned down the school a few years ago and the Afghan government has not made rebuilding a priority. The school is still awaiting government assistance.

When I toured the school I was shocked at the conditions. How can students learn in this environment? It is not safe! Students learned in classrooms where the ceiling was falling down and there were no doors or windows. Thus, students were at the mercy of the weather.I was overcome by the determination that these students exhibited. They attend school, which is quite frankly dangerous, because they have a passion to be educated and become an active member of their society.

While here in the US we take education for granted, in Afghanistan being able to go

Another class at the Sediqi Girls High in Parwan, Afghanistan.

to school and have proper school uniforms and textbooks is a luxury. I have talked to many students ranging from grade one to twelve about what they need  in order to continue with their education and they told me that they do not have textbooks.  Unfortunately, most of these students come from impoverished families.  Students drop out of the school because their parents cannot afford to buy them uniforms or textbooks.  Textbooks are only a few dollars! Students also stressed their need for school uniforms.

I also traveled to Swat to visit Malala Yousafzai’s school, Khushal Girls High School. Malala was shot on her way home from school in October 2012. The students at this school inspired me, as they were willing to show me around their school under a bomb threat, which is quite frequent in the area. Upon arriving at the school, I was warmly welcomed by the principle. I met with some of

Malala’s friends. These girls are full of energy and are passionate about fighting for education even if they have to risk their lives just like Malala. After meeting these young girls, I feel  that every girl was Malala – very brave and outspoken. I asked them if there was anything we could do to

A class at the Khushal Girls High School, Swat, Pakistan

assist them. They told me with joy in their eyes and smile in their faces, that they needed some computers and a projector.

For any society, in order to achieve social, economic and political advancement it is crucial to include women and girls. Afghanistan cannot be rebuilt and cannot sustain its peace and security if we do not empower Afghan women and girls with quality education. The U.S and the international Community need to continue its support and invest in educating women and girls in Afghanistan.

- Gargie Nagarkar – Vice President- South Lakes GLI Chapter

This project is created and run by business partners and best friends Sarah Moshman and Dana Michelle Cook. Together they started Heartfelt Productions and their mission is to inspire and empower women nationwide through documentary. Their project is on the crowd funding site Kickstarter and they are trying to raise $25,000 in a matter of 60 days. They are 54% funded and with less than 2 weeks left, so they can use your help! Please donate to their cause and spread the word about this exciting new project that will be sure to keep the feminist conversation moving in this country.

Their first webisode for the series featured in their Kickstarter video includes 2013 Sundance Best Director Winner Jill Soloway (Six Feet Under, United States of Tara) as she discusses how women should follow their inner impulse when it comes to directing. Jane Lynch is featured in the full webisode speaking to Jill’s directing expertise as her long time friend and collaborator. Backers of the project have access to the full webisode after donating $25 or more.

Sarah and Dana want to interview ten different women in ten very different career fields to ask questions like: How did you get to where you are? What does it take to be a woman in your position? How do you balance personal life and work life? What were your greatest failures and successes along the way? What advice can you share for other women that strive to be in your shoes? They hope to find a common thread between these powerful women and make their stories and their paths seem more accessible to the younger generation.

In each city that Dana and Sarah visit they want to bring on local aspiring female filmmakers to work with them and learn how to work the equipment and get involved. In addition, the lady crew will have a behind the scenes element of their journey so people can see what it takes to put this series together from start to finish as women, as filmmakers and as friends.

To get involved and donate and visit their site!

Soosan Firooz

An Afghan rapper. The founder of the first primary school for girls in a Kenyan village. A trailblazing member of Congress who fights to create an AIDS-free generation. An advocate for women’s and children’s rights and empowerment.

Tonight in Los Angeles, the Feminist Majority Foundation (publisher of Ms.) will award these four women with its 8th annual Global Women’s Rights Awards, celebrating their hard-fought accomplishments for girls and women on the world stage.

The rapper–considered to be Afghanistan’s first woman at the mic–is Soosan Firooz. Though facing death threats, she continues to use music to speak out against the injustices and violence faced by women and girls in Afghanistan. Through her performance and bravery, Soosan has brought attention to the need for peace-building in Afghanistan. Check out this video report on her:

Kakenya Ntaiya

The school founder is Kakenya Ntaiya, a tireless advocate for the education and empowerment of girls. The first woman in her Kenyan village of Enoosaen to leave and attend college in the U.S., she returned to her homeland in 2009 to establish The Kakenya Center for Excellence, which finally allowed girls in her village to attend primary school there. National Geographic has honored Kakenya as an Emerging Explorer and CNN named her one of its CNN Heroes. Check out her wonderful TEDX talk.

Barbara Lee

The congressperson is Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), a leading feminist in the House and a critical voice for the world’s women and girls, who remain disproportionately affected by the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. Lee conceived of and co-authored the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Protection Against Transmission of HIV for Women and Youth Act.

And the advocate for women’s and children’s human rights is

Cheryl Saban

Cheryl Saban, who was recently a member of the U.S. delegation to the 57th U.N. Commission on the Status of Women and was appointed by President Obama to be the U.S. representative to the 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Saban–a psychologist, author and philanthropist–has just announced a groundbreaking partnership between UN Women and her Women’s Self Worth Foundation to work for women’s empowerment and gender equality.

We’ll be live-tweeting from the event tonight @girlslearnintl under the hashtag #fmfgala. Join us for a discussion with these amazing women and FMF president Eleanor Smeal!

“While you wait to be able to curl up with Malala’s book, here are three groups you can get involved with to help those 61 million kids get an education:

+ Girls Learn International

Girls Learn International empowers young people to make a difference by pairing American middle and high schools with schools in countries where girls need more access to education. If your school gets involved, you’ll be able to talk to the girls at your partner school and find specific and useful ways to help them.”

Check out the full article here.