Girls know best what their needs are—that's why we put their voices front and center.
Listen to members of our Girls Advisory Council explain that "true equality begins with listening."
I am Powerful
By Saraswoti Puri, Anita Thapa, Jamuna Karki, Pasang Sherpa, Dolma Sherpa, Salina Basnet, Furwa Sherpa, Muna Tamang at our partner The Small World in Nepal
In every breath, a spark ignites,
within my soul, where power alights.
Through trials faced and battles won,
I stand resilient, a force begun.
In every word, a thunderous roar,
Echoes of strength, forevermore
with courage, coursing through my veins,
I conquer fears, break free from chains.
In every step, a quake beneath.
As mountains move with my belief.
I am the architect of destiny’s flight,
Guiding my path with unwavering might
In every heartbeat, a symphony,
of resilience, of possibility.
For in my being power resides,
A force unstoppable, where dreams collide.
I am powerful, a force untamed,
infinite potential, never to be tamed.
With every breath, every pulse, every stride,
I am powerful, I shall never hide.
The Girl Gazette is Here!
The latest edition of The Girl Gazette is here! This edition features a powerful poem about girls' leadership, an important essay about a patriarchal community, and artwork that encourages girls to end period stigma and feel good about their bodies.
The Girl Gazette shares girls' voices from around the world who work with our Partner Coalition organizations. Girls from She’s the First’s Partner Coalition express themselves through art, poetry, and essays about their experiences.
Girls Challenge Gender Stereotyping in Rural India
By Preeti Yadav, 14, a student in India with our partner Sahas Foundation
Girls have right to education, and they should be allowed to study just as boys, so that they can achieve their dreams. And if somebody does anything wrong, then we can teach them a lesson. This happened when our school was closed for vacation; there was bhagwat (a religious gathering where a saint talks about gods and their teachings) going on.
I asked my grandmother, “Can I go and fill the kalash (a practice where a pot is filled with water from a nearby river.) She said that girls can’t go that far to fill the kalash. So, I can’t go to the river to fill the water because it is far away, (previously) I can’t be sent to the school because it is far away. If a boy would have asked, no one would have refused them. This is one of the cases where rights of girls are taken away.
Thanks to Sahas, I got to go back to school. I’m in 7th class.
Preeti’s essay was also published in the September 2024 edition of The Girl Gazette, a biannual publication of artwork, poetry, and essays by girls in the She’s the First partner coalition.
A Force Untamed
By Sushila Giri, 18, Nepal, a student with our partner Shequal Foundation
In every girl, there's a leader inside,
She walks with strength, with grace as her guide.
In her heart, ambition ignites,
Guiding others through the darkest nights.
With wisdom's voice, she leads the way,
In her presence, doubts start to sway.
She doesn't falter, her flame burns bright,
Empowering others, she spreads her light.
In every girl, a force untamed,
In her leadership, the world is reclaimed.
Let's celebrate her strength and might,
She's the beacon shining in the night.
I am powerful, she proudly proclaims,
Leading with courage, she makes her name.
In every girl, this power resides,
With her leadership, the world abides.
Sushila’s poem was also published in the September 2024 edition of The Girl Gazette, a biannual publication of artwork, poetry, and essays by girls in the She’s the First partner coalition.
Hot Off the Presses: The Girl Gazette!
A Woman Rises
By Punya, 18, India
In shadows cast by doubt and fear,
A woman rises, strong and clear.
Her spirit, fierce, a beacon bright,
Empowered soul, a guiding light.
With every stride, she breaks the chains,
Defies the echoes of old refrains.
In unity, her strength unfolds,
A tapestry of stories told.
No longer bound by biased views,
She paints the world in vibrant hues.
Her voice, a melody of might,
Resounds through every day and night.
In resilience, she finds her grace,
A symphony of strength, embrace.
Empowerment, a flame untamed,
A legacy by her name proclaimed.
Through trials faced and battles won,
A woman's journey's never done.
United, let our voices ring,
In empowerment, together sing.
Punya is an 18-year-old teen who is driven by a fierce passion through various forms of creative writing, including poetry. Through her dedication to reading, writing, and learning, Punya has cultivated a deep curiosity about the world around her and a desire take a meaningful impact on the society. She was previously published by She’s the First as part of the Power of Poetry campaign.
Artwork provided by British Library/Unsplash
Those Scars and Fallen Stars
By Mishika Kapoor, 19, India
Those Scars
The scars prominent
Fevering the skin into dominance
The splashes still alive
Burning my heart from inside
Bruised face I hide behind the veil
Cause no one will stand for my pain
My eyes rain heavily
But emotions go silent
If I speak out people will talk
Such are the words I hear on loop
Will I hide all life
Covering my face can I survive
The revenge was baseless
Denial was my decision
But it wasn't respected,
I was abused, and lashes were painted on my face
A small ego destroyed my existence
For them it was a joke
But my whole life will rot
They are laughing while I cry in pain
I won’t sit behind bars
It wasn't even my fault
The guilt will cry
Many more like me will come out with pride
I will voice against the wrong
Acid attacks are not cool at all
The bruises burns the heart
Ripping the soul deeply apart
Fallen Stars
Sitting under the open sky
Gazing, as the stars fly
In the embrace of winters
Feeling frozen even around cinders
I think about the world
And my mind all swirled
A muse with the stars
The future bars.
My fallen stars
Jingling at my door while playing guitar
For I never wanted the story to end
YOU were a blessing to me, Oh Friend!
A magical spell so pale
Just like the fairy-tale
Of Prince, Princess and the Magic Hat
People said, ‘life isn’t like that’.
‘There are no wonderlands, no magic’.
But still I had dreams, such dramatic
My magic spell got shattered and frozen
Leaving just a soul completely broken
Which was mine, such a plight
Was the world right………?
Mishika Kapoor is a 19-year-old student studying Medicine who has had two volumes ov her poems published. “Being from India, I have seen women go through a lot since my childhood. Women choose to keep quiet due to societal pressure, and this is what I want to stand up for. I think women are no less than men, and men have no right to violate women or their rights.” Mishika wants to motivate women to speak out and change this patriarchal society. She has been writing since she was four, and her poems have been published in various national and international journals.
The Mental Health Toll of Climate Change: Women and Eco-Anxiety
Climate Change and its related effects such as natural disasters, rising sea levels, and extreme weather conditions are known to cause significant socioeconomic stresses. As climate change intensifies, it exacerbates existing gender inequalities, deepening poverty and undermining sustainable development goals.
Reproduce This! Art Contest By Girls, For Girls: CALL FOR ARTWORK INSPIRED BY THE THEME: MY BODY, MY CHOICE
She’s the First is a non-profit organization that teams up with grassroots leaders to make sure all girls are educated, respected, and heard. As the co-organizers of The Global Girls’ Bill of Rights®, we stand by Right #5, which states: “All girls have the right to comprehensive sexual education and access to free, quality, reproductive healthcare.”
To uplift this right around the world and rally girls together, our Girl Activist Fellowship’s Sexual Health and Reproductive Rights Committee, a youth-led group in STF, is hosting the Reproduce This: Art Contest. The theme of this Art Contest is "Your Body, Your Choice," and we will be accepting all types of visual art mediums (sketches, watercolors, color pencils, acrylic, oils, etc).
*The only eligibility requirements: being a girl* who is less than 22 years old!
The Reproduce This: Art Contest is an art contest hosted by girls, for girls, and will raise awareness for reproductive rights around the world in a SAFE way. All girl-centered and anti-oppressive entries to the Reproduce This: Art Contest will be showcased on our website, and if that's not enough... Selected entries will be showcased in two simultaneous GALLERY SHOWS located in New York City and Nairobi, Kenya, on International Day of the Girl, October 11, 2023.
Create a difference, embrace your talents, and sign up today! Submit your art today!
Use this link to commit to creating artwork (deadline for submission is August 15): bit.ly/reproducethissubmit
*gender-nonconforming, genderfluid, transfeminine experiences included!
Download the flyer here.