Leadership
She's the First
Introducing our new Co-CEO: Together, we can do ...

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.”

Introducing our new Co-CEO: Together, we can do more for girls
Activism Programs, Advocacy, Board of Directors, Girl Activist Fellowship, Girls Advisory Council, Girls' Voices, Impact Stories
She's the First
Fighting Misogyny: Two Student Activists Share ...

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. 

Impact Stories, Partner Coalition, CBO Training
She's the First
When you give a girl a bicycle...

Kavita loved studying and was excited to be enrolled in school again after dropping out during the pandemic at age 13. When she started missing class again because she didn’t have reliable transportation, her mentors at our partner Sahas Foundation stepped in to help. 

Impact Stories, Partner Coalition
She's the First
3 Lessons Every Girl Should Know

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. 

Impact Stories, Partner Coalition
She's the First
"I aspire to inspire."

“I’m the first lawyer in my family, and I’m driven by a desire to pave new paths and create opportunities that have never been available to us before. I aspire to inspire others and drive positive change through my work.”

Kate Kiama

Presentando a nuestra Co-Directora Ejecutiva, juntos podemos hacer más por las niñas

¡Gracias por tu apoyo en el 2024! ¡Aquí por un mejor año hacia adelante!

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

Introducing our new Co-CEO: Together, we can do more for girls

Introducing our new Co-CEO: Together, we can do more for girls

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.”

15 Years Strong, She’s the First Appoints Co-CEOs for Next Chapter

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.

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Girls First Summit 2024 Debuts in Uganda and Shines in Nairobi

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Girls First Summit 2024 Debuts in Uganda and Shines in Nairobi

After months of meticulous preparation, the 8th iteration of the Girls First Summit in Nairobi and the first-ever Summit in Uganda finally arrived! Girls First Summit, hosted by She’s the First,  brings together courageous women who work with underserved girls to strengthen their programs, learn practical ways to build girls' power in their communities, and network.

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She’s the First Launches Girls First Institute to Revolutionize Professional Development in Global Girls’ Rights Space

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She’s the First, a global girls’ rights organization, is thrilled to announce the launch of the Girls First Institute. This groundbreaking initiative equips grassroots organizations worldwide with the resources, tools, and strategies to prioritize girls’ rights, education, and agency in their communities.

The Girls First Institute, which offers two certification levels, “Essential” and “Advanced,” provides vital skills in girl-centered program design, feminist mentorship, and sexual and reproductive health and rights programming, addressing the lack of affordable, high-quality training for women-led, girl-focused organizations in the Global South.

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A Partner Closing the Distance for Girls’ Education

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A Partner Closing the Distance for Girls’ Education

The Small World is a not-for-profit charitable organization supporting locally-driven, sustainable community development projects. These projects provide not only education for children—especially young girls at risk from exploitation—but also remove traditional barriers to girls' education, create empowerment scenarios for local communities, and ultimately help to end deep-rooted cycles of poverty.

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Vision and Transformation: A Visit to Arlington Academy of Hope in Uganda

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“My key takeaway is legacy and the power of vision!” wrote Training Manager Emma Mogaka of her recent visit to our Ugandan partner Arlington Academy of Hope. Members of our programs team witnessed our partner’s work in action and led customized trainings in girl-centered design for the organization’s staff, as well as sexual and reproductive health and rights workshops for the girls.

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An Inspiring Visit To GLAMI, Our Partner in Tanzania

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“Mentors shared that they see transformation in the girls when they commence the program within a year. They reported that girls become more self-aware, more confident, and feel safe sharing their opinions and views.” Our Director of Programs & Impact Kate Kiama reflected on her recent visit to our long-time partner GLAMI in an update for our news site. GLAMI has benefited 11,400 Tanzanian girls to date through phenomenal four- and two-year life-skills and leadership training programs.

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Our Biggest Investment: Meet Our 2023-2025 Partner Coalition!

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We’re proud to announce the 15 women-led organizations taking part in our Partner Coalition for the next three years! Through the She's the First Partner Coalition, we provide transformational funding and support to community-based organizations (we call them CBOs) serving girls in the Global South.

Our active cohort consists of 15 CBOs in 10 countries, engaging 9,475 girls across East and West Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. Together, we increase girls' agency and leadership through feminist mentorship programs.