East Africa, Africa
She's the First
"Let Girls Lead"

Joan Kembabazi is a 25-year-old feminist activist who champions an end to child marriage and girls' education in Uganda. Joan is the Founder and Team leader of Gufasha Girls Foundation and is currently a fellow in She’s the First’s Girl-Centered Incubator.

Africa, Asia, East Africa, Latin America, South Asia, West Africa
She's the First
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.

Asia, South East Asia
She's the First
Safiya Speaks Up! Makes Waves in Southeast Asia

Safiya Speaks Up!, the impactful children's book developed by five She’s the First Girl Activist Fellows, is making significant strides in Southeast Asia through the efforts of two of its passionate authors and advocates, Anya Legarda and Allison Choong. It was created to educate young girls about combatting sexual violence and using their voices. Since its digital publication last fall, mentors and parents have shared Safiya’s story with more than 3,000 girls across the globe.

Safiya Speaks Up! Makes Waves in Southeast Asia
Africa, Asia, East Africa, Latin America, South Asia, West Africa
She's the First
Hot Off the Presses: The Girl Gazette!

Check out the newest issue of The Girl Gazette: Volume 5, Issue 1 for Winter 2024! The Girl Gazette amplifies the voices of girls globally and empowers them through art, poetry, and more. We highlight girls around the globe who are a part of our Partner Coalition organizations.

Hot Off the Presses: The Girl Gazette!
Africa, East Africa
She's the First
A Youth Ambassador’s Reflections on the Girls ...

Youth Ambassador Gladys Njeri shares her experience participating in the Girls First Summit, She’s the First’s annual event that brings together organizations for knowledge-sharing and targeted training, with local and global insights on best practices for supporting girls’ rights.

A Youth Ambassador’s Reflections on the Girls First Summit

Girl Activist Fellowship

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Girl Activist Fellows Talk Sex Ed Misinformation

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Girl Activist Fellows Talk Sex Ed Misinformation

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. 

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She's the First Girl Leaders Discuss The Power of Girls' Education and Leadership

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She's the First Girl Leaders Discuss The Power of Girls' Education and Leadership

Investing in girls' education and leadership is essential for advancing gender equality. On October 3, She’s the First and Rise Up hosted a virtual event, "The Power of Girls' Education and Leadership: A Spotlight on Africa," to highlight the efforts of young leaders transforming their communities. Alumni from both organizations discussed the challenges and potential of girls' education in Africa, with She’s the First Girls Advisory Council members Sukeji Modi and Njeri emphasizing the role of local leadership and mentorship in tackling issues like teen pregnancy and menstrual poverty.

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"I’m a girl and I know what I want."

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Allison Choong is a 20-year-old activist from Penang, Malaysia. She is pursuing a double major in Criminology & Justice Studies and Sociology at Drexel University on a fully funded Global Scholarship. She has been a finalist for the Canon Young Champion of the Year and Women of the Future Southeast Asia awards. She is an alumna of She’s the First’s Girl Activist Fellowship and a current member of the organization’s Girls Advisory Council. She enjoys using her voice to raise awareness about crucial issues affecting youth and marginalized communities.

“Girls are not only the future, we are the present"

Sania Hammad, 19, is a student at Barnard College of Columbia University where she serves as the president of the sophomore class. Along with serving as the president, she is the founder of Sate Crate, a nonprofit with the goal to stave off hunger in southern Missouri and southeast Kansas. She works with various grassroots organizations, is the co-author of a children’s book, has made nationally recognized documentaries, and has hosted many fundraising events in the past. She is an alumna of the first cohort of She’s the First Girl Activist Fellowship.

My Experience as the Youngest Delegate at an Inter-American Convention for Eradicating Gender Violence

My Experience as the Youngest Delegate at an Inter-American Convention for Eradicating Gender Violence

“Two months ago, I had the amazing opportunity to be a delegate for the Chilean delegation for the IX Conference of States Parties for the Belém do Pará Convention the Interamerican Convention to Prevent, Sanction, and Eradicate Violence Against Women. This convention is the biggest women’s rights instrument that punishes forms of violence against women and girls.”

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Safiya Speaks Up! Makes Waves in Southeast Asia

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Safiya Speaks Up! Makes Waves in Southeast Asia

Safiya Speaks Up!, the impactful children's book developed by five She’s the First Girl Activist Fellows, is making significant strides in Southeast Asia through the efforts of two of its passionate authors and advocates, Anya Legarda and Allison Choong. It was created to educate young girls about combatting sexual violence and using their voices. Since its digital publication last fall, mentors and parents have shared Safiya’s story with more than 3,000 girls across the globe.

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Going Beyond the Book: Behind-the-Scenes of “Safiya Speaks Up”

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Going Beyond the Book: Behind-the-Scenes of “Safiya Speaks Up”

We’re proud to launch of Safiya Speaks Up, a children’s book and mentor’s guide written by girls between the ages of 15 and 21 from the She’s the First’s Girl Activist Fellowship. This “tell-all” is a memoir of the stories behind the book, as well as the memories we shared throughout its creation.

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A Youth Ambassador’s Reflections on the Girls First Summit

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A Youth Ambassador’s Reflections on the Girls First Summit

Youth Ambassador Gladys Njeri shares her experience participating in the Girls First Summit, She’s the First’s annual event that brings together organizations for knowledge-sharing and targeted training, with local and global insights on best practices for supporting girls’ rights.

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Reproduce This! Art Contest By Girls, For Girls: CALL FOR ARTWORK INSPIRED BY THE THEME: MY BODY, MY CHOICE

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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.