On September 21, 2024, in New York City, more than 50 young women from around the world—including the youngest Nobel Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai and representatives from four She’s the First programs!—gathered to take United Nations member states to task for failing to prioritize girls and young women in the planning and content of the Summit of the Future.
We, the undersigned girl-centered organizations, express our deep concern and condemnation regarding the alarming rise in femicides in Kenya. We stand in solidarity with our fellow women leaders in Kenya who are demanding that the President of Kenya declare femicide and violence against women and girls a national disaster. The government must take swift and decisive measures to protect lives and ensure justice for the victims.
We are excited to announce the addition of 42 new members from over 30 countries around the world to the She’s the First Council! This includes 30 new members of the English-speaking council and 12 new members of the Spanish-speaking council. These inspiring and passionate young women join us from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, making the GAC stronger and more vibrant than ever before!
Across continents and cultures, our partners have shown what’s possible when we come together to empower girls and communities.
From reaching thousands of girls to stopping child marriages, keeping girls in school, and building safe spaces, these wins are proof of what’s possible when we work together.
We are proud to announce our new Advisory Board, who will support the bold vision of our co-CEOs and be a trusted sounding board to our Senior Leadership Team and Board of Directors.
The initial members of our Advisory Board are based across the United States and Kenya and will serve a 3-year term, lending their expertise in impact evaluation, communications, program design, and resource mobilization.
Por Kate Kiama, Co-Directora Ejecutiva de She’s the First
¡Estoy encantada de presentarme como la nueva Co-Directora Ejecutiva de She's the First! Aunque no soy "nueva" en She's the First, aporto más de 11 años de experiencia a mi nuevo puesto y he sido parte del personal de STF durante más de 4 años. Vivo en Nairobi, Kenia, y soy una abogada profesional. Soy madre de una niña de casi un año y, al igual que tú, soy una activista incansable por los derechos de las niñas.
(foto por Zahara Abdul/Candid Local)
Mi primer mensaje para ti es GRACIAS. 2024 fue un año emocionante y récord para STF. Con tu apoyo, ampliamos nuestros programas e impactamos a 286,637 niñas, 100.000 niñas más que el año anterior, escalando así nuestros programas. Muchos de ustedes nos ayudaron a superar nuestros objetivos de recaudación de fondos de fin de año para prepararnos con éxito para el 2025. ¡Estamos extremadamente agradecidas!
Como recordarán, el 1 de noviembre (en el cumpleaños número 15 del STF), compartimos grandes noticias sobre este nuevo capítulo de liderazgo, en el que me uniría como Co-Directora Ejecutiva con nuestra co-fundadora Tammy Tibbetts. Tammy y yo tenemos una estrategia muy intencionada de fortalecer el liderazgo del movimiento global por los derechos de las niñas. Como parte de nuestro compromiso con los valores antiopresivos, continuaremos construyendo nuestro equipo en el Sur Global para garantizar que las decisiones sobre financiamiento y capacitación se tomen donde se siente el impacto.
Mientras Tammy y yo nos afianzamos firmemente en nuestros nuevos roles al cumplirse el 15º aniversario de She's the First, nuestro objetivo es construir nuevas y poderosas alianzas para escalar nuestro modelo logrando así más profundidad e influencia. Nuestro objetivo último son resultados más sólidos en la educación, el liderazgo y la agencia de las niñas, particularmente en el Sur Global/mundo mayoritario; al expandir y profundizar nuestros programas, podemos lograrlo para más niñas. Al mismo tiempo, sabemos que nuestra misión será más relevante que nunca para las niñas en los EE. UU., ya que apoyamos su activismo por sus derechos durante una época temida en el país.
(foto por Sarah Waiswa)
Mi segundo mensaje es uno de celebración: Estoy encantada de anunciar que mi puesto anterior como Directora de Programas en She's the First lo ocupará Ceci Arriaza, anteriormente Gerente Senior de STF. Ella liderará un equipo de mujeres en Kenia y Guatemala para implementar los programs del Instituto Girls First, nuestro trabajo para fortalecer las organizaciones comunitarias dirigidas por mujeres y centradas en las niñas. Ceci tiene dos maestrías en Estudios de Desarrollo y Salud Mental. Aporta más de nueve años de experiencia en programas centrados en las niñas, incluído en MAIA, uno de los socios de She's the First en Guatemala. Ceci es una defensora excepcional de los derechos de las niñas a nivel mundial. Por favor únete a mí para felicitarla!
Te invito a unirte a nosotros en esta emocionante aventura; y epero conocerte en el próximo año.
¡Les deseo un maravilloso Año Nuevo!
Kate Kiama
Co-Directora Ejecutiva
In her first letter as Co-CEO, Kate Kiama reflects on She’s the First’s growth in 2024 and discusses her and Tammy Tibbett’s shared vision to ensure more girls access education and mentorship, creating lasting change for gender equality worldwide.
“As Tammy and I firmly ground ourselves in our new roles at the turn of She’s the First’s 15th anniversary, our objective is to build powerful new partnerships to scale our model for depth and influence. Our ultimate goal is stronger outcomes for girls’ education, leadership, and agency, particularly in the Global South/majority world; by expanding and deepening our programming, we can accomplish that for more girls. At the same time, we know our mission will be more relevant than ever for girls in the U.S. as we support their activism for their rights during a fearful time in the country.”
Following the U.S. election results, She’s the First spoke with girls in our Chapters program who live in states and areas where women’s bodies are politicized. A university student from Arizona said that men on her campus held signs that said, “Women are property.” A girl from a high school in Texas told us that boys were walking around the hallway saying, “Your body, my choice.” The use of these phrases online has also spiked dramatically.
We wanted to see what two alums of our Girl Activist Fellowship thought about the rise of sexist discourse and what girls can do to fight back. Allison Choong, 21, of Penang, Malaysia, and Sania Hammad, 19, from Kansas, U.S, are two of the five co-authors of Safiya Speaks Up!, a children’s book about safety from sexual violence—which they created during their She’s the First fellowship. The book and mentor’s guide have been available for 15 months, and in that time, more than 7,000 girls were introduced to Safiya and learned how to identify safe adults in their lives.
In this conversation, Allison and Sania talk about how they’re tackling significant issues like sex education, reproductive health, and gender-based violence at a time when women’s rights are challenged.
Mary Jonas attends mentorship sessions with GLAMI, She’s the First’s partner in Tanzania. Only 39% of girls in Tanzania go to secondary school. Of those, only two-thirds complete their secondary education, and only 3% go on to university.
With support from you and She’s the First, GLAMI is working to change those outcomes, one girl at a time.
As we approach a new year, we’re looking back at all we accomplished in 2024 with the support of our community.
Our 2024 in a snapshot: building girls’ power in Nairobi, convening practitioners in Uganda, amplifying voices in Liberia, launching the Girls First Institute, and witnessing girls speak truth to power at the UN.
From local communities to global stages, these moments remind us of the unstoppable force of girls and their mentors—and the power we have when we work together as a movement to ensure girls have more agency in their lives.
My name is Hulaymatou, and I feel loved here.
I feel loved at Starfish because ever since I became a Starfish girl, my mentors have consistently shown up for me in every aspect of my life, from home to school, and everything in between. I remember a day when I was feeling really down and didn’t want to do anything. My mentors noticed and took action; they wrote several affirmations on the board for me and had my fellow students sing for me. That moment made me feel incredibly loved. I carry this experience with me every day and make it a point to do the same for my friends whenever they’re not feeling okay.
Ellie Kaaya cracked the presidential glass ceiling at her university so other women could break through. She ran for student body president even when people told her that only men should lead. A few years later, her campaign inspired her mentee, Fides, to follow her lead. Fides became the first female class president at their university, blazing her own trail for change.
On the 15th Anniversary of She’s the First — a leading organization in the movement for girls’ rights — Co-Founder/CEO Tammy Tibbetts is proud to announce a new chapter ahead: Beginning on January 1st, she and Catherine (Kate) Kiama will begin serving as Co-CEOs, reporting into the Board of Directors together.
We spoke with two of our Girl Activist Fellows about sex education, the spread of misinformation in their communities, and what changes they want to see. Sydney, 17, who lives in a conservative rural town in Massachusetts, U.S., pointed out that abstinence-only programs cause harm. Faith Boke, 21, from Kuria, Kenya, shared how her community faces shame and misinformation about menstruation and reproductive health. They talked about the need for thorough and inclusive sex education to clear up myths and reduce the stigma around reproductive health.
