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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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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

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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………?

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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.

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.

The Joy of Learning

Author: Aliza Puri, She’s the First Youth Ambassador

My grandmother learnt the first letter at 65
I remember her strive
To write her name
Thinking about how signing her name instead of thumb prints
Would be a changed game
For her.
I remember her eye beaming with pride
As she tried
To remember the letter and what they look like
And what they sound like
And I couldn't be happier for her.

My mom was married off in 9th grade.
The exchange of her education with household responsibility was not a fair trade.
Reading and writing Nepali is no big deal
But English is the real deal.
My mother can't understand my English poems
But she will still watch the whole video
And it has become a norm
For her to ask me for a translation
"K vaneko yo video ma Aliza?"
What are you saying in this video, Aliza?
But she is learning and even though she doesn't like to believe
At the age of 50 she is growing.
She is learning to read English
The words probably sound rubbish to her
She recently learnt to post her comments in social media
And she needs no body's help
Sometimes she may comment
"Beuteful" instead of "beautiful"
Under my picture
But I know what she meant
And I am proud of her

For me,
I love learning Maths and Sciences,
I love to read poems and stories in Nepali and english
I am amazed by learning how our body works in perfect coordination
How the systems in the earth work
And how this universe work
Thanks to the education that I have received

I learnt about the stars and sky
And the ants and fly
and moons and sun
and our heart and our brain
and men and women
and the rock and mountain
and the river and sea
and also about you and me.

But I also learnt that maybe you aren't as blessed as me.
And that makes me feel a little bit guilty
I feel greedy
For not being able to share everything that I have learnt so far
I feel angry
That sometimes those who can
Choose not to.

I hope someday,
All of us would learn about this amazing world, and our amazing body,
And amazing people in this world.
I hope one day,
All of us would learn and grow
Not just academically
But also as person
We will learn to be kinder and braver
And world would really be this amazing place
That I believe it is.

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A girl with an education is unstoppable—but barriers like gender discrimination, poverty, and exploitation prevent many girls from reaching graduation. Our Youth Ambassadors created the Power of Poetry campaign to amplify girls' voices about this issue for Poetry Month and the Global Action Week for Education.

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Aliza Puri, 20, is a She's the First Youth Ambassador (and co-creator of the Power of Poetry campaign!). Currently studying medicine in Nepal, Aliza has been involved with She's the First since she was a student at our graduated partner Kopila Valley School! Aliza sees poetry as a creative outlet for her activism. Read her poem, "Dear World," a letter to the world from every girl who has been abused, who finds it hard to come forward and ask for justice because she is too scared and embarrassed—until she decides to fight for herself.