Global Girl Project – BIG Give Women and Girls Match Fund FAQ

1. What is the BIG Give Women and Girls Match Fund?
The BIG Give Women and Girls Match Fund is a seven-day online match funding campaign, running from October 10 to 17, 2024, supporting charities that work with women and girls. During this campaign, donations made to participating charities are doubled through match funding.

2. How does match funding work?
For every £1 you donate, another £1 is added by our funders. For example, if you donate £50, it becomes £100 for Global Girl Project! This match funding is made possible by champions such as philanthropists, foundations, and corporations who are committed to doubling your impact.

3. When does the campaign take place?
The campaign runs from October 10 to 17, 2024. During this time, all donations made to Global Girl Project via the Big Give platform will be matched.

4. What is Global Girl Project’s campaign target?
Our target for this campaign is to raise £5,000, which will be matched to total £10,000. This funding will go directly toward expanding our work in the Middle East, specifically continuing our efforts in Iraq and launching new programs in Iran and Lebanon, where women and girls are facing immense hardship due to wars, political instability, and anti-women’s rights policies.

5. Where do I donate to have my gift matched?
To participate in the match funding campaign, donate through the Big Give’s online fundraising platform during the campaign dates. 

6. Why should I donate during the BIG Give campaign?
By donating between October 10 and 17, your impact is doubled, meaning Global Girl Project can reach and mobilise even more girls. Your support will help us reach our target of £5,000, unlocking a total of £10,000 to support our programs.

7. Who provides the matching funds?
Matching funds are provided by champions, which include philanthropists, foundations, companies, and other high-net-worth individuals. These champions commit funds to match the public donations raised during the campaign.

8. Can I share this campaign with others?
Absolutely! We encourage you to share the campaign with your friends, family, and network. The more people who donate, the greater the impact we can have. You can also follow us on social media to stay updated throughout the campaign.

9. What happens if I miss the campaign dates?
Donations are always appreciated, but to have your gift doubled, make sure to donate during the campaign window from October 10 to 17, 2024. Outside of those dates, your donation will still support our cause but will not be eligible for matching.

10. How can I stay updated on the campaign?
Follow us on our social media channels and subscribe to our newsletter to get updates on the campaign and reminders about when and how to donate.

Global Girl Voices

We are currently focussing our blogging resources on amplifying the voices of our girls through our Global Girl Voices blog. We will be back with thought leadership, opinion, updates, and more on this page soon, but for now, please head to our Global Girl Voices page for insights from girls all over the world.

Explore Global Girl Voices here.

What You Haven't Heard About in Haiti

Global Girl Project has been collaborating with girls in Haiti soon after our conception in 2014. This blog is driven by the need to fill the void left by the lack of news coverage on Haiti. Recognising the surge of violence, political unrest, and their impact on the lives of Haitian citizens, we aim to shed light on these overlooked realities and spark conversations about their strength and mobilisation. By amplifying our girls’ voices, we strive to shed a light on the broad situation faced by, and the power of, our girls in Haiti as well as our programme partners, Foundation TOYA, and all Haitians in this time.

Currently, Haiti is experiencing a surge of violence and political unrest, which has left its citizens in a state of fear and uncertainty. Armed gangs and vigilantes have clashed in the streets of Port-au-Prince, the country's capital, with civilians taking up arms against the heavily armed criminals who control more than 80% of the capital. The situation has escalated to a point where the United Nations has compared it to a civil war. Understanding the effect of violence needs an intersectional lens: girls from the Global South are the most marginalised and oppressed group in the world and the escalation of political unrest and violence will only aggravate these conditions. The impact of violence everywhere (as in Haiti) is not uniform across all communities. The poorest and most marginalised communities are often the most affected, with limited access to resources and support. Girls from these communities are particularly vulnerable to the effects of violence and political unrest, with limited access to education and healthcare. Girls from wealthy families may have more opportunities and resources, but they too are impacted by the violence in ways different to boys in these communities and families. To address the challenges faced by girls in Haiti, we need to invest in programmes that address the root causes of violence and poverty, and support girls' education and opportunities. These programmes must be tailored to the specific needs of different communities. 

Haiti has a long history of foreign interference, dating back to the 17th century when the French colonised the island and enslaved local populations. The consequent Haitian Revolution was the only successful slave revolt in history, and it had a profound impact on the abolition of slavery throughout the Americas. However this has not stopped foreign intervention in Haiti which includes interventions by the United States, the United Nations peacekeeping missions and many more, some triggered by the two devastating earthquakes Haiti has sustained in the last fifteen years. These interventions have often been motivated by economic interests, and typically have a negative impact on Haitians.

 Girls in Haiti are already facing significant challenges, including poverty, gender-based violence, and cultural norms that prioritise boys' education and freedom. Political unrest and violence only compound these challenges, isolating girls and hindering their already limited chances of gaining an education. Despite the challenges they face, girls in Haiti are resilient and determined to succeed. They are fighting for their right to an education, and they are using their voices to speak out against violence and injustice. When we hear our girls in Haiti, talking about leadership, they share that for them, it's about helping others grow and achieve their dreams. It's about giving people hope. Leadership is also about learning about each other, learning about situations, and learning about the people in our lives. And most importantly, leadership is about helping others. Our girls in Haiti are leaders. They are an inspiration to us all.

Clyfane, our current facilitator in Haiti, is our longest ever programme Global Girl Leadership Initiative (GGLI) facilitator and has delivered the programme eleven  times. She has seen first-hand the power girls have if they are given the space and support to unleash it. It is vital to recognise that Haiti encompasses so much more than these obstacles which is reflected in the dynamism, vibrancy, enthusiasm, and power exuded by the girls in Haiti. Their untold story, though often overlooked, holds immense significance. 

If you would like to know more about how you can support our work please click the link to donate and subscribe to our newsletter.

Learn more about what is happening in Haiti: 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/30/haiti-port-au-prince-violence-gangs-police

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-65381624

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/17/haiti-sees-rise-of-vigilante-justice-as-gang-violence-soars

https://www.aljazeera.com/where/haiti/

Books:

• Sheroes of the Haitian Revolution by Bayyinah Bello

• Black Spartacus by Sudhir Hazareesingh 

• The Black Jacobins by C.L.R James

Nomat: A Partnership Twenty Years in the Making

By Julia Lynch, Founding Director of Global Girl Project

As businesses of all sizes are looking for innovative and impactful ways to share their knowledge, expertise, and resources with charities of all sizes, I felt like it would be helpful and important to share with you a story. I want to give you an example of how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) done from the perspective of true partnership, real impact, and connection, can truly create the change that you want to see for your company and the charities you support. 

It was a lifetime ago that I first moved to the UK and set up shop here for a couple of years looking for a new beginning to the life I thought I was meant to live. During this time I worked as a Social Worker in Islington and then in Hammersmith & Fulham, and it was during this time that I first met Marli Gray. We worked together in this support service for teenagers with our desks across from each other, her coming here from Australia and me escaping my life in Canada. We became friends, but not super close friends, and this was the time before Facebook, so we didn’t really have any way to stay in touch once we both moved back to our respective countries. 

Fast track to 2015, ten years later and enough time for Facebook to have infiltrated our lives, and I was living in Los Angeles and had founded Global Girl Project. We were very, very small back then, only the percolation of what she has become now, but I shared about Global Girl Project’s journey on social media when I had any spare time while working as a behaviour therapist with families. So you can imagine my surprise when I received a message via messenger from Marli, saying that she had been following our work and would love to send a donation to help me to continue on the path. 

The year progressed and I continued to work on Global Girl Project during any of my spare time, until in 2016 I had another message from Marli, saying that they would love to offer some pro-bono support from their company Nomat, reviewing our very basic website to see where it could be improved. I, of course, jumped at the offer and what came from this was the most beautiful gift: a brand new, professionally done, website! Nomat so generously designed and got up and running our current website, and provided us with a way to tell our story to the larger world. As a tiny charity, we did not have the resources to create our own professional website and so this new website was a game-changer for us. Over the years we have had hundreds of compliments on our website and this is all down to the long hours and dedication that the Nomat team put into this offering. 

While already feeling so grateful for the gift of our impactful and informative website, I received yet another email from Marli and the Nomat team, offering to do a rebranding for us. The offer was to design our very own logo, brand colours, fonts, etc and to be honest, I didn’t even know that organisations had their own brand fonts. So I of course accepted this once-in-a-lifetime offer and started on a journey with the Nomat team of delving deeper into who Global Girl Project really was and how we wanted that represented to the outside world. After many months of working together, over Zoom and emails (I was in Los Angeles and they were in Australia), we were gifted what you now think of and see today as the Global Girl Project logo and all of our brand elements that surround it. This offering took us as an organisation to the next level, and in reality, helped us to appear much more professional and much larger than perhaps we were at the time. 

As the years have passed Nomat and their dedication to Global Girl Project has impacted our work in so many ways, and yet the story doesn’t stop here. Near the end of 2022, Nomat reached out yet again to ask if they could help us with anything else, and of course, I jumped at their offer. And so over the past five months, we have been working alongside the Nomat team once again, to create our brand new Journey of a Girl, and the revamping of our original website! I can’t wait to see what you think.

I am sharing our journey with Nomat because I think it is one of the best examples out there of how businesses can implement real and impactful CSR initiatives. For a small charity like GGP, the opportunity to work alongside another team for an extended period of time on a large project is worth far more than its weight in gold. And I would urge all businesses to look at how you can change your CSR and staff volunteering initiatives in a way that they create real impact, as opposed to one day out of the year with an organisation or two. 

Thank you doesn’t even begin to describe the feeling, Nomat Team! If your company is also motivated to offer real and impactful CSR to a growing international charity, then please reach out to us at info@globalgirlproject.org.

Growing Up a Global Girl, My Unique Culture, and How Change Happens

By Tina Chugani, Global Girl Project Board Member

In August 2021, I completed my Effective Board Member training (created by Dr. Karl George),  and was actively seeking Board Member roles. One of the side paths of my corporate career had led me to develop experiences and skills in corporate governance and risk management and as a member of Women in Banking and Finance (WIBF) early in my career, a seed had been planted around women on boards. Ten years later, I then capitalised on my skills and experience to develop my Board Member skills.

Side bar: In those ten years, as I was working in corporate, I was also starting the motherhood journey with twin boys, so many seeds lay dormant in that time as sleepless nights and playdates became my new professional activities!

While I was seeking Board Member roles, I had registered for numerous Non-Executive recruitment portals. As I was scrolling through one day, a small logo with the words Global Girl Project caught my eye. I’m fascinated with globes, maps, and global approaches to work and my curiosity about this beautiful logo took me to the website, where I was blown away with the quality and content of the website, and more than that the mission. I thought I had nothing to lose, and at the very least, I could volunteer a few hours, so I emailed the founder Julia a message, and the next thing I knew we were scheduled for a chat.

I had such a lovely, engaging inspirational conversation with Julia and our previous chair Stella, and soon after that I was invited to join GGP as a Board Member.

I am a Global Girl. Having grown up in Zambia in a mixed ethnicity, multi religion household, I feel like I am from everywhere, and also from nowhere. When it came to our ‘culture’, we did not have a blueprint to follow and we grew up with mixed cultures and mixed traditions. It sometimes felt like we invented our own culture, nothing was a given. I think that was a big part of what made me resonate with Global Girl Project: its focus on cultural exchange and the value of connecting people from different cultures spoke to the part of me that has always felt like I am from so many places and traditions.

Zambia is a beautiful country, with perfect weather, all year round, abundantly blessed with natural resources. It is considered a least economically developed, heavily indebted poor country. The unemployment rate is 13%. I still struggle to understand why the majority of people live in poverty in such a resource rich country. Everytime I go home, I’m inspired by people excelling in their work and businesses, and their creativity, and equally frustrated with the macro lack of progress and the visible poverty. 

In Zambia, many middle-class or richer families have domestic workers in their homes. Like many families, we support people that have worked with us. For me specifically, I strive to support the education of the teenage daughters of those domestic workers. Over the years, that has included tutoring, sharing books, interview coaching, and education sponsorship. My goal is to see the cycle of poverty broken for this family. Imagine my surprise and frustration, when those I directly help with education funds, resources, not only reject support, but rebel or are uninterested. I have spent a lot of time reflecting on what I am missing here, and how I can be of better, more constructive help. I have come to understand that I cannot change these girls' lives, because I am not with them all the time. I visit occasionally, which does not enable the consistency they need, nor give them consistent structure and accountability.

In reflecting, and in my engagement with Global Girl, I have realised that change happens when it comes from within oneself and within communities, and this was the basis of my conversation with Julia as we discussed, debated and explored the psyche of teenage girls and making change happen. Julia’s deep understanding and experience which she shared with me, led me to understand why a program like GGP is critical in enabling girls to find their own voice, and make their own journey. Connecting with other girls globally enables the flow and exchange of ideas. Like many things in life, consistency and time are key ingredients in growth, and GGP provides that consistent structure through the programs it delivers.   

I am proud to support the work of Global Girl Project because it is a life changing skill for girls to find their voice and their power, and from that change their own communities. My sphere of change has grown to the girls impacted by Global Girl Project. 

Disclaimer: The girls who I support in ZambiaI refer to are not part of the GGP program. I am proud to say one out of the three girls I am supporting is currently attending university, the first in her family.

What This All-Woman Space Means For Me

By Evette Franklin – Secretary - Global Girl Project Board of Trustees

If you told me 20 years ago that today I'd not only be part of an all women board but I'd be 4 years in and loving the experience, I would have told you no no and no.

For several reasons.

Firstly I didn't have positive female relationships. Especially in my 20's I seemed to find it difficult to connect with other women. I won't go into the whys and wherewithals but that was my experience.

Secondly, the idea of being on a board was never on my radar. The boards I was even aware of were populated by old white men.

Lastly I never considered the possible impact of being part of a nonprofit at that level.

In September 2018 I joined the Board of Global Girl Project and took on the role of Secretary.

I met the founding director Julia Lynch through Capoeira and she infected me with her passion for the work that Global Girl Project does with girls from the Global South.

As a Black woman that grew up in Kingston Jamaica and London UK, I've had first hand experience of the power of connecting and learning from and with people from different cultures, countries, and backgrounds.

My experiences of work, travel and lifestyle outside of my culture have shaped my growth and worldview. So, I understood the power of the work that GGP does, and the importance of  exposing marginalised girls from the Global South to other girls from different cultures and countries, as well as giving them the tools to use their voices to talk about issues that were relevant to their communities.

Ultimately, it’s been my diverse upbringing between the Caribbean and Europe, exposure to personal development, entrepreneurship and ongoing learning beyond university that got me to a place where I could give value to the board of a nonprofit organisation.

So what about the women?

Well of course we're not a monolithic entity.

There are limitless ways to experience and show up as a woman. 

Our GGP board over the years grew from 3 to 7 incredible women of different professions, different social and economic backgrounds and of course like our girls we are from different cultures and countries.

We bring so much powerful variety of knowledge, experiences and skills to the table that it blows me away.

When I was the only entrepreneur in the group I definitely had moments where I questioned why I was even there.

However these women make me feel valued and value the worldviews and perspective that I bring to our multicultural table.

I also believe that for our girls to know that our organisation is led my women is a powerful model for them to be exposed to.

If you don't see yourself in places and spaces it's difficult for you to even imagine you can be a part of said place or space.

As women together the environment we've created is intentionally inclusive and co creative. 

No we are not men hating feminist, we are GGP feminist.

That's another story and I'd love it if you took the time to read about what this means for GGP. It's a great reframe (for me personally) of what it means to be a feminist organisation. You can read it here.

Today our all female board is seven women from six different countries, multiple cultures and living in four different countries.

We have created a culture where all our voices are heard and respected. Where we aren't afraid of difficult conversations about authenticity, integrity, bias, race and inclusivity.

Any conversation that makes us better, makes our organisation better, makes our partnerships and programs better is embraced.

Being an integral part of GGP has become something I'm truly proud to belong to. 

I shout it from the proverbial rooftops very loudly and will continue to do so.

Why join a Non-Profit Board? A Guest Blog by one of our Board Members

Why join a Non-Profit Board? Be fantastic, find your crew, meet the challenge & be the impact

By Christina Ameln – Global Girl Project, Board of Trustees

 There are many reasons to say no: the challenges are too big, we might not make the impact we want to, and you’re very busy.  So why does anyone join a non-profit Board? 

Let me start by revealing my bias: I am a proud member of the Board of Trustees for Global Girl Project, an amazing organisation that works to mobilise girls worldwide.  So, bear with me as I share my own choice and motivations to support good causes.

Be fantastic

We all have special gifts - talents that can and should be shared with our communities. With your skills, you can give back to your community in multiple and sometimes surprising ways. It does not have to be a role with a title; you can find different ways small and big to engage with your community from donating to volunteering to mentoring.

We all self-reflect on what we can bring.  I often wonder whether my skills, background and contribution are enough or if they will bring much-needed value to the cause.

But remember, each one of us is fantastic in our unique way.  Organisations are looking for this uniqueness, which might be invaluable to their work. Besides, Board engagement is a two-way street. Sometimes we give as much as we get.

This is one of the key reasons I joined the Global Girl Project Board of Trustees, I had a sense that my unique set of skills in sustainability and social impact could make a difference – to this organisation at this point in time. This is my opportunity to give back to the community and support a cause.

In this case, I feel strongly about the mission of Global Girl Project, which is to mobilise girls as leaders and changemakers in the Global South, and encourage confidence and self-worth.  Global Girl Project ensures that these attributes are reinforced and become stepping stones for the pursuit of other leadership activities.

Find your crew

We have all been in situations where we feel we do not fit in. Not all organisations are meant for you so it is important to find your “crew” – an organisation in whose mission you believe and where you will thrive, build, guide, shape and co-create “the change you want to see in the world.”.

This is my second gig as a board member. I have discovered that finding ‘a crew’ can take many forms. You can actively look for the organisation that is a good match, find it in a job posting, be invited to join or be recommended. And note that organisations come in different sizes, with impact at local or international levels.  There are all these constellations out there for you to find.

With Global Girl Project, I was recommended by a friend (who is part of Global Girl Project’s volunteer initiative) to chat with the executive director Julia Lynch and then-Chair Stella McKenna. And yes, the initial conversations might feel a bit like dating as you start to get to know each other and see if it is a match on both sides.

For me, it is important that I bring value to the organisation, my contribution makes a difference, our missions align and I am involved in tackling challenging topics. At this stage in my life, I also feel that being part of a smaller, entrepreneurial and growing organisation is where I can bring the most value and impact.

I believe that, for Julia and Stella, it was important to enrich the board with a specific skill set that would complement the other board members. They felt that I believed in Global Girl Project’s work and yes, we would also get along with each other.

Knowing something about the other members of the crew is also important. In my case, I joined a ‘crew’ of board members made up of strong, professional, intelligent and intuitive women from all corners of the world (we sit in Cambodia, Dubai, Vietnam, United Kingdom, etc). These global voices also ensure that viewpoints from around the world are reflected in the conversations and decision-making.  

And I want to underscore that it is an honour to be part of this network and group of changemakers. I learn from my interactions with each of them.

The Global Girl Project Board and Team meeting in London, Summer 2022. From L-R: Stella McKenna (then Chair); Hannah White-Steele (Programme Manager); Julia Lynch (Founding Director); Zyanya Bejarano (then Board Member, on Zoom); Tina Chugani (Board Member); Evette Franklin (Secretary); Rachna Patel (Treasurer); Christina Ameln (Board Member and Author).

Meet the challenge

Of course, there are challenges along the way. That is only natural when you bring a group of strong people together to discuss complex problems and solutions. Change is a messy process.

Board responsibilities include anticipating the external factors that might influence the direction of the organisation. Fundraising will always be a challenge – you cannot escape that whatever the size of the organisation. Other challenges include communicating across time differences, language, culture and location. A key personal challenge will always be time management and balancing board expectations with personal and professional ones.

To meet these challenges is to identify them, reflect on them and identify solutions that are right for you. It is about building movement forward.

It is also important to take a long, broad view. A broader viewpoint is more likely to meet the challenge and bring much needed perspective.

In my case, Global Girl Project’s mission is both personally and professionally compelling. It aims to create that positive impact on girls in the Global South and build a new generation of women leaders, within families, communities and nations.  

The mission always wins.

Be the impact

It is also easy to feel removed from global issues or problems. Sometimes you ask yourself: What real difference can I make?

Don’t be fooled by the distance. If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it is that we are all interconnected. Positive inputs also have an amazing ripple effect. We can all lead with our actions small and big.

As we move into 2023, GGP’s new year’s resolution is to increase its impact. It seeks to create that together with its stakeholders of individuals, corporates and organisations so as to continue to empower that change in girls.

As Shree from India writes in More Than Voice, A Collection of Stories by Global Girl Project, “What matters is being leaders and creating leaders around us”.

I am grateful that I am part of Global Girl Project, creating a world in which all girls can thrive.  I wish you all a Happy New Year.

“Changing our world starts with a girl.”

To support GGP do think about:

• Finding out more on what GGP does – https://www.globalgirlproject.org/ 

• Global Girls Run the World - Engage your organisation, team, friends and/or family for our upcoming Global Girl Runs the World fundraising month highlight International Women’s Day in the month of March – for more information – https://www.globalgirlproject.org/the-race-is-on-2023 

• Become a volunteer – Email info@globalgirlproject.org. We are particularly interested in hearing from you if you have a marketing background!

• Become a monthly donor - https://www.globalgirlproject.org/become-a-global-changemaker 

The Power of Reflection

This piece was written for and first published by MentHer

As a community leader and as a creator of offerings for others around the world, I often get caught up in the rush of it all and forget to pause and take time to reevaluate and reimagine. I am sure that I am not the only one with this challenge, and over the last two years many of us have been offered an opportunity to do just that; to take a step sideways and rethink the way that we do so many things. 

Over eight years ago I founded Global Girl Project, an international NGO that mobilises the most marginalised, yet most powerful, girls who are part of  the Global Majority to become leaders and agents of social change. One might imagine that in that time Global Girl Project has made many shifts and side steps in order to achieve our mission, and you would be right. We have grown from an offering that worked with 10 girls per year to working with over 300 girls annually. This necessary shift in impact was made entirely possible by the pause that many of us experienced over the last two years, the COVID Pause perhaps. 

Prior to 2020, Global Girl Project was running annual exchange programs for groups of 10 girls at a time, flying them from places such as Haiti, Sierra Leone, Rwanda and Pakistan to Nepal for five life-shifting weeks of intensive leadership training. The impact on both the girls and their communities, as they travelled back home to run their individual social action projects, was palpable. However, with the end of the world as we knew it we were offered a very backhanded way to rethink and then reimagine the way that we create community and global change through the power of our girls. 

Since the very beginning, when Global Girl Project was simply a rumbling of an idea, I knew that our focus would always be to reach, work with, and mobilise the girls who are most isolated within communities around the world. Our mission has always been to work with the girls who many others cannot or choose not to reach. Whether it be due to lack of internet access, English language skills, girls’ inability to do activities outside of the home due to cultural norms, childcare duties or simply due to the thinking that girls don’t need to learn how to lead. Many local, national and international organisations do not do enough work to mobilise isolated girls who live in poverty within the Global Majority. Global Girl Project  intentionally aims to fill that gap.  

You might ask how a small, feminist charity has managed to work in such communities around the world, and the answer is very simple; through collaboration. I know intrinsically that the power of the collective is far more impactful than that of the individual person or organisation. True partnerships with well-established organisations within each of our partner countries, enable us  to work with girls who are otherwise isolated and often do not have freedoms outside of their homes. Through our partnerships we are able to work in local languages and within local cultural contexts, however our work includes an  international dimension to teach girls about something so powerful that many try to keep its reality a secret. 

At Global Girl Project our offerings take girls through a journey that shows them, quite often for the first time, that they have a voice. They learn that this voice is their power, and that the power of their voice can have the most impact in collaboration with their communities, both locally and internationally. We teach our girls that they have a responsibility to use that powerful voice to create the change that they want to see in their communities. 

You might be wondering why we teach girls about being a leader and using their own voice instead of focusing on issue specific work such as education, sexual health, or gender-based violence? The answer is very straightforward: if a girl doesn’t know she has a voice, and if a girl doesn’t know how to use her voice to share her thoughts and ideas for change, she won’t be able to make use of her education or speak about what she wants in a relationship, or stand up for herself against the violence that is perpetrated against her. Voice and leadership are relevant in all areas of girls’ lives. It is for this reason that we must teach all of our girls that they already are leaders and that their voice is a tool they have full access to. We must find the girls who feel voiceless, who are isolated within their homes and communities, and work collaboratively to mobilise them for social change. 

At Global Girl Project we are changing the world through the power of our girls. We are asking girls to reflect, pause, and then take action, and we know how powerful this can be. As this year draws to a close and we enter a new season of change, I challenge you to take a step sideways, and take your own moment to pause and reflect. In that moment of re-evaluation question where you can take steps to do what you are doing, in work or in life, in an even more impactful way.

To become a Global Changemaker yourself and donate monthly please go to our Website for further details. 

Multiple Perspectives on Feminist Organisations

At Global Girl Project, we are clear that we are a feminist organisation. However, we know that this term may be used and received differently in different contexts and we want to be aware of this when sharing our position. In order to help us understand this, we spoke with our partners and girls all over the world about feminism and feminist organisations to help us understand how we can best represent ourselves in a way which is relatable and positive for our many stakeholders, and honours the feelings and perspectives of those we serve.

The Challenge and What We Did

Feminism, feminist theory, and feminist action comes in many forms and includes multiple diverse political and national feminist traditions. In the ‘Western’ world the dominant strand of feminism is often seen to be ‘White’,  ‘Liberal’ or ‘Capitalist’  feminism, very broadly meaning (amongst other things) feminism which is not intersectional (in that it doesn’t consider the multiple oppressions different women face such as race, class, sexuality, disability etc.), concerns itself primarily with the concerns of middle-class white women, and fundamentally upholds an unequal capitalist system. Historically and today, some feminist movements have excluded women of colour and other minoritised groups, and we were conscious that when describing ourselves as ‘feminists’ we did not want this to alienate the people and organisations with whom we work. In addition, we are conscious that, thanks to a concerted campaign by the patriarchy and its allies, ‘feminism’ has in the past, and still today, be seen as a ‘dirty’ word associated with man-hating radicals.  

As an organisation with multiple stakeholders all over the world, and in which being partner-led is central, we wanted to investigate how we can talk about ourselves as a feminist organisation whilst being inclusive, respecting our partners, and not alienating those who might be wary, offended, or scared by the term. To this end we reached out to our facilitators, partnership leads, corporate partners, and girls to explore with them what this meant to different individuals and organisations around the world.

How is ‘feminism’ perceived by our partners?

Broadly, feminism is recognised as being a movement for equality for all regardless of gender. As our partnership lead in Peru, Alma, shared: Simply put, to me feminism is about advocating for equal rights and opportunities across all genders. Some of the other comments from partners and girls were:

• “Feminism, for me is equality, equal rights and opportunities.” Lida, our facilitator in Peru

• “For me feminism means choice and commitment. The choice of all women to decide on her body and for her future as a woman and the commitment to denounce any form of discrimination or violence against a person because of their gender.” Clyfane, our facilitator in Haiti

• “All genders have equal rights and opportunities.” Tin, manager in Cambodia  

• “Feminism is something that works towards the end of discrimination that is happening based on the genders. It's about giving equal rights and opportunities to all.” Asma, our facilitator in Hyderabad, India

• “In my point of view feminist means someone who supports the idea that women should have the same right and opportunities as men and the one who accept the women rights and allow women to get educate and work.” One of our girls

Interestingly, as this was something we might have expected to hear, there was no reporting of feminism being exclusive, man-hating or some of the other negative connotations which may have been associated with the movement. 

Most people felt comfortable describing themselves personally as feminists, a selection of some of what was shared on this is below:

• “Yes, I would describe myself as a feminist because I believe in analysing who has power, social transformation through collaboration, elevating voices that have been previously oppressed by structures and reflecting on my own practices.” Cyndi, partnership lead with Skateistan

• “Actually nowadays, I do agree I am as a feminist because I used to work with the girls [to] provide trainings about women leadership empowerment, to strengthen advocacy to the girls, and the Global Girl Project which empower them in their community.” Suyeng and Sophea, our facilitators in Cambodia

• “Yes, I would describe myself as a feminist because I believe every person should have egual rights. '' Alma, partnership lead in Peru 

• “Yes, I am completely sure that I am a feminist girl because I have seen the situation of women and I never want that the rights of the women be disregarded. I always want women to educate, work and have the same rights and opportunities as men.” One of our girls

What We Are Taking Away

Hearing this, and much more, from our partners all over the world on this subject, has enabled us to think more about how we define, represent and live our feminism as inclusive, de-colonised and intersectional. It’s an ongoing journey, but it’s only by exploring the ideas and listening to the thoughts of those who we work with that we can move towards getting this right.

Silenced Voices: Our Statement on the Roe v. Wade Decision

The essence of our work at Global Girl Project is to mobilise the most marginalised girls in our world to find and use their voice for social change. We start from a place of knowing that each of us has a right to be asked what we think, and for our answer to have equal weight to the thoughts of those around us. We also know that in our world the voices of girls and women are still being silenced, in various ways. Our girls tell us repeatedly that one of the most powerful things they gain from being a Global Girl is learning that they have a voice, learning how that voice sounds, what that voice wants to say, and how to say it in a way that leads, can be heard, and teaches others. 

At Global Girl Project we feel that our voice is our most powerful tool for change. 

What occurred on 24th June 2022 in the United States, with the Supreme Court overturning the federally protected right to abortion, was in effect, the silencing of 166.2 million voices. As a feminist organisation we work to mobilise the woman-identifying voice, and so we are deeply angered by the silencing of voices in all parts of the world. 

As our work is focused on elevating and mobilising voices that are often silenced, we are also deeply aware of the impact of the words that are used when we speak. We always work with our girls, as they grow on their journey to being leaders, to teach them about the power of their words, to use their words carefully, and to understand the impact of their voice. 

So we also want to be clear that with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, what is on the table here is not about being pro-life. What we are talking about is supporting Forced Pregnancy. In 2013, the ‘UN Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment’ found that denying access to abortion when desired was a form of torture. 

We stand in solidarity with our sisters in the United States, and all those people who can get pregnant who are being denied reproductive healthcare, reproductive rights, and autonomy over their own bodies. Having women’s voices being raised and heard has never been more urgent. 

Four Months of Four Days: Our Reflections on Introducing a Four Day Work Week to Global Girl Project

One of the many things being a feminist organisation encourages us to think about is our work-life balance and our holistic health and wellbeing.

In seeking to find practical ways to support this we have been exploring the implementation of a four day week since March 2022. By this, we mean that for us, full time at GGP is four days (32 hours), with no cut in salary.

There are many things which have made the implementation of a four day week practicable. Some limiting factors in other organisations or industries, such as the need to have shift work or constant availability for customers, do not currently impact us at Global Girl. We are a small team and so internal cultural adaptation and communication has been more straightforward for us than in a big team, and we already work entirely remotely, so hybrid work or days in the office have not had to be accounted for. 

In many ways, this may have been an easier transition than for some other organisations, however due to being a small team which is already under resourced, it may also have been more difficult in other ways.  We have had to think carefully about how this would work, the impact it would have on us and our partners, and the feasibility and flexibility with which we would apply the policy. What we are currently testing is:

• We close Global Girl Project on Fridays, and our staff work Monday - Thursday only. This is a set day, we do not compromise on slipping a few meetings in on Fridays, and our out-of-offices are set on Thursday evenings. The only exception to this is if we need to meet groups of girls on Fridays and there is not another option for the session. We did discuss having a mix of days (for example, our Director would work Monday - Thursday and our Programme Manager would work Tuesday - Friday), to ensure the whole five days were covered. We decided against this for a few reasons: 1) we want to make sure we have the opportunity to work collaboratively together on all the days we are working, 2) we didn’t want to run the risk of work-creep, where someone would have a meeting which someone else wanted to attend but it was on their day off so they ended up working anyway, and 3) we wanted to make a statement with this decision and be clear with our partners and our wider stakeholders that we were taking Fridays out for ourselves and our personal lives.  

• This means we work a 32 hour work week for full time pay, we have not condensed our previous 40 hour week from five days into four. We are strict on this and hold each other accountable to these working hours. We believe in working smarter not longer, and part of being a feminist organisation for us means we do not believe that to be hard-working we have to be long-working or that we have to sacrifice our personal lives or physical and mental health. 

What we have found so far is: 

• The impact of one additional day off has a huge (and disproportionate to the amount of time) positive impact on work-life balance and wellbeing. It might be an extra day to enjoy the weekend, or it might be an opportunity to catch up on life admin or chores which then doesn’t have to take up a day of the weekend. Our Programme Manager Hannah reports feeling “much more rested, enthusiastic, and positive on Monday morning having had that extra time” and Julia our Founding Director says that she has time to move her boat (on which she lives and runs GGP), or other boat chores that is similar to a part-time job.

• It’s encouraged us to be more productive and targeted in our priorities in the time we are working. Having less time does mean that the time we do have needs to be used well, Hannah says she’s getting as much done in four days as she probably would in five (not scientifically measured!) which feels more satisfying and energising on work days as well.

• But it has not been easy to reduce our hours. For our Director in particular who previously might have been working a 50 hour week, reducing down to 32 hours has taken time and dedication and has not always been straightforward. 

• We have not found this to significantly impact our ability to serve our girls, our partners, or to do our jobs. Aside from occasionally having to tell people we can’t attend a meeting on a Friday, this arrangement has not, so far curtailed our ability to do our job well and deliver amazing programmes. We have received no negative feedback from partners on the arrangements.

• We feel guilty about working less. Many people will be familiar with the feeling of guilt when not being ‘productive’, and for example our Director has talked about feeling ‘lazy’ when working a shorter week. A capitalist productivity mindset has led many of us to feel guilt about taking time for ourselves, not working, or having a better work-life balance, leading us to characterise ourselves as lazy or not worthy. As a feminist organisation, we are trying to challenge the idea of work being the only valuable way to spend our time, and ensure that self-care is a central part of our lives. 

Overall, it’s been a positive experience so far, and a great start to implementing this policy. However, we know there are things we will have to continue to consider: 

• As we bring more staff in, people will have different flexible working needs. As a small team it is easier to meet everyone’s needs as there are fewer of them, but as we grow we will need to make sure that this suits everyone across the team. For example, what if someone wants to work 32 hours across five shorter days, or really needs a Monday off for childcare reasons? 

• As our programmes grow, we will need to ensure we can successfully support all our partners and girls, and might this become harder in four days?

We are determined to make this policy work, and will look to address the above challenges with creativity and our values at the forefront. We are excited to share our findings and journey, and are happy to discuss this more with any organisations looking to implement this. 

Spotlight on: India

Global Girl Project is an international initiative dedicated towards mobilising socially-minded and community driven girls from the Global South to become leaders and agents of social change. Our innovative programs are designed to enrich skills-sets, generate self-worth and voice, and provide knowledge for these young leaders to implement their initiatives within their communities, thereby creating true societal change.

We have been working in India since 2016, first with our partners Kranti in Mumbai and then with our partner Pratham Education in order to deliver high quality leadership for social change training to 60 girls so far in Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad. Our Blended Learning Leadership Initiative is a three-month leadership journey for girls, during which they learn about using their voice for community change, and run a community event about a social issue, reaching over 600 community members so far. Following the Blended Learning Leadership Initiative we see 97% of girls saying they want to go on to make more change in their community and a 152% increase in girls feeling confident to voice their views on issues in their community. As part of our programming, girls become part of a global network of changemaking leaders from the Global South who they can continue to learn and connect with on our secure online platform, Global Graduates Connect. 

When we asked our girls in Gujarat about the programme, they said:

“This project has been so important for us as it has given us a better understanding of our society, and we felt ourselves learning something new in each session. We chose to address the issue of a clean environment and organised an event about this issue attended by community members where we shared the message about this issue through lots of different activities.

We were also able to talk with girls just like us but from other countries or states as part of the sessions, and we realised that they face the same challenges that we do. We learnt about how to connect using the internet, and how to use Google Translate and the Global Graduates Connect platform so we can always stay connected. We also learnt about how to use what we have around us and about how to work effectively as a team. 

Before we joined this programme, we couldn’t talk in front of others, we were shy and didn’t think we could speak in front of elders. Through this project, we gained self-confidence: before the event we were very nervous and were not sure if we would be able to deliver it effectively, but thanks to the programme we were able to deliver our message confidently in front of a large audience.” 

Our girls in Gujarat

Asma Unnisa, who runs the Blended Learning Leadership Initiative in Hyderabad said: “when we were having discussions about the role of a leader or the qualities of a leader, I had to dig a lot to go through their lives and understand their thinking about what it means to be a leader… But I came to know that almost all the girls are doing something that may be very small but it is definitely making social change… I was so happy to see the faces of all the girls after realising that they are a social change maker.” 

With our programme rapidly expanding in partnership with Pratham, our Founding Director Julia Lynch has been visiting India to meet Pratham in person as well as many of our girls. After spending almost two weeks hearing from our girls, their mothers, their fathers, their community members, and our Project Facilitators, she has shared the following insights:

• The unique topic of girls’ leadership and our method of facilitation and delivery, makes the Blended Learning Leadership Initiative a truly radical program within the context of marginalized communities in India

• The overarching theme of almost every conversation that she has had in the last two weeks is that we need to exponentially increase the number of our program locations in India, as the need for our innovative programming is enormous.

• The barriers that a girl faces that often stand between her and a quality education are numerous, and this is why our model of working in partnership and on the ground with local facilitators is key to addressing those barriers, and therefore, welcoming more girls into our GGP global network.

• Some parents shared that after seeing their daughter graduate through our programming they either decided to let her return to her education and graduate, postpone her planned marriage, or encourage her to graduate and get her own job and independence. 

• Our graduates and our partners are asking for more programming for our graduates. They want us to engage with our graduates at least on a quarterly basis to offer ongoing training and opportunities. So we need to find a way to do this through Global Graduates Connect.

What does it take to get girls involved in our programme?

Every three months, groups of girls all over the world begin our Blended Learning Leadership Initiative in their communities with local facilitators, and embark on a three month leadership journey to change their own life and their communities. But if you think gathering these groups together is as simple as a quick call, you’d be very wrong. Our facilitators go above and beyond to ensure we are working with those girls who are marginalised and hard to reach. This might be because they are living far away from a centre, or maybe it’s because they need their father’s permission or a male accompaniment. Our facilitators have to visit their homes numerous times and have various conversations, with mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, to get the girls signed up. 

Here, our facilitator in Hyderabad, Asma, talks about the long and important process she has to go through to get each cohort set up. Watch for some need to know insights about the reality of delivering this programme where we do and how we do it.

Flexibility and Impact During the Early Days of Covid-19

In April 2020 we had plans to run our sixth exchange programme, involving bringing girls from all over the world to Nepal for leadership learning, programme development experience, and cultural exchange with our Founding Director Julia Lynch. 

“In 2020 we had plans to…”. We all now know what follows that phrase. In early 2020 we postponed the Exchange a number of times, not knowing, in the early days of the pandemic, how long travel would be restricted for. During this postponement, and once the Exchange was later cancelled, Julia worked with our girls online, adapting the programme and providing them a version of the learning they would have experienced in person. Like many other organisations, this was a new experience and a new challenge for us and for our girls. 

Three of these girls were from Sri Lanka and in this blog, we spoke to Darshan Ambalavanar, the Director from our exchange partner in Sri Lanka, who worked with the girls about the impact they experienced and the importance of the programme, despite the initial disappointment of not being able to travel to Nepal. 

As Darshan puts it: “Programs which focus on empowering girls from non-privileged backgrounds are of great need here in Sri Lanka as they face many barriers to developing their own life.” Programmes like those run by Global Girl Project which “build confidence through learning experiences are very important, [and] given many of the issues around social discrimination it is important for them to have opportunities of learning together with young girls from different backgrounds.” 

Global Girl Project was able to offer a unique opportunity to the girls we worked with, and despite having to make adjustments, Darshan is clear about the impact the work had on the girls: it was their first experience of online learning, which would come to be an incredibly important skill as the Covid-19 pandemic took off; it gave them an opportunity to practise resilience, through dealing with the disappointment of not going to Nepal, and the ongoing commitment to the programme, even though it meant travelling 40km to attend; and it built their confidence hugely. 

So much so, that Darshan is clear of the impact the programme has had on the paths the girls have taken since participating, with two girls committed to attending university, the first to do so in their community. Both girls want to train to be English teachers, and when we began with them in the Exchange programme they had had very limited exposure to English. As part of their preparation for the Exchange, and as part of their engagement with Julia we provided English tutoring for the girls, something which they have now run with and been inspired to continue developing and to share this skill with others. 

We see over and over again the impact that unleashing the power of girls in their community and within themselves can have, and continue to inspire us to do more, for more girls, in more communities. 

Global Girl Project Charity Gig

Join local artists Bouquet of Dead Crows, Columbia Indie Band and Yolanda in support of Global Girl Project for some live music and entertainment to raise funds to support leadership development for social change for girls in the Global South.

Check out the bands here:

Columbia Indie Band

Bouquet of Dead Crows

Yolanda

Buy your tickets HERE.

Find the venue HERE.

Global Girls Run The World - Inspiration at Day 21

It’s Day 21 of our month of movement and the kilometres are going past as fast as the days. 3 weeks of GGRTW 2022 and the total stands at £19,299. We’re entering the final 10 days of the challenge so now’s the time to really step things up – can you do an extra lap this week or if you’ve broken through the target you set yourself, why not make a new one? We can do this!

You can also see our progress between our partner countries as our virtual race continues apace. It’s exciting to see the connections growing as well as the money ticking up.

What an encouragement and we continue to be so grateful and inspired by everyone who has signed up and is moving and raising money to support our educational programmes in South Africa, Cambodia, Haiti, India and more.

SPEAKING OF INSPIRING – Introducing one of our teams: Step Change

Step Change is a team formed by Britt Burnett, some of whom have been best friends from university and some are ex colleagues. Together they are showing us what “girl power” means to them and have set themselves a 10k steps/day challenge and a fundraising target of a whopping £10k.

Alex Brown, one of Step Change’s members said: “I’m motivated to move for Global Girl Project to enable more daughters around the world realise their full potential” And Vicky Lee-Boiten said “It’s one way I remind myself about the privileges I’ve grown up with that I frequently take for granted – peace, stability, access to education and healthcare. I’m moving for GGP to help another girl. Girls for girls!”

Step Change are really enjoying taking part in GGRTW this March, spurring each other on, sharing podcasts and creating a spotify playlist with a song of the day to keep them showing #whoruntheworld.

WHY I GIVE

We asked one of our fundraisers to share why they have signed up to GGRTW and this is what they said:

With all that is going on in the world around us, it can feel overwhelming to determine “where to start” when it comes to helping others or making an impact within our communities. Before now, I’ve found myself dwelling on the question of “where do I start,” and not getting past that point. But now, I’ve chosen somewhere to start – with a month of movement as a part of GGP’s GGRTW fundraiser –, knowing that doing something is better than doing nothing. Knowing that I contribute to the collective fight we’re in, whether we like to think we’re in a fight or not.

 Something that Julia Lynch, Founder of Global Girl Project, shared with me changed my perspective on what it means to fight…

 “The fight is to have power over our lives, within our communities (whether local or global). That is the fight for anyone who feels an imbalance of power – whether you are a woman, POC, identify as queer, as transgender. It is the same fight to be seen as equal; to have agency over our own lives. That is what we are fighting for, and that is the work of Global Girl Project.”

 This resonated because it means that we are all fighting the same fight, so jumping to action means making an impact on the collective. To me, participating in Global Girls Run the World 2022 is helping to fight this fight. I encourage you to do the same.