Every day, millions of girls around the world are denied their basic human rights simply because they’re girls – but you can make a difference. Help safeguard and promote girls’ rights by supporting the Because I am a Girl project. Through this project, you help reach girls worldwide with the support they need, helping save and transform lives, while driving equality forward.
Make a Monthly DonationYour generous monthly contributions will be matched by our funding partners – meaning
your support will reach 4X more girls around the world, for 4X the impact.
Nearly every two seconds, a girl under the age of 18 is forced into child marriage – that’s about 12 million girls each year.
October 11 was declared International Day of the Girl (IDG) Child by the United Nations in 2011 following a campaign led by Plan International Canada.
This day celebrates the achievements of girls. It’s also an opportunity for solidarity with girls as they claim their rights. Plan International Canada’s focus for IDG this year is on girls’ participation in the political decisions that shape their lives. Girls have the right to lead and be heard: Join them in claiming #EqualPowerNow.
The history and inspiration behind Because I am a Girl
Because I am a girl. How did this simple phrase become the name of a global initiative, powering a movement to end gender inequality and promote girls’ rights? The story behind the name of Plan International’s Because I am a Girl project is a poignant one and here’s how it started:
Ten years ago, during a conference in Katmandu, Nepal, Marianne – a Plan International staff member – went out for a walk. Seeing a very little girl out on her own, scavenging for food, Marianne struck up a conversation with her. She then accompanied the girl back to her home, as she wanted to meet the parents. Upon her arrival, Marianne tried to sensitively broach the subject with the mother about the reason her daughter was out scavenging while her brothers were in school. The mother’s answer was simple: “Because she is a girl.” To that mother, and many people around the world, that phrase explains it all.
Marianne’s story stuck with us and became the inspiration behind the name “Because I am a Girl” for our goal to end gender inequality and help girls around the world reach their full potential.
When you become a project sponsor, it helps:
Register girls at birth
Ensuring that their legal right to an education, health care and protection are officially recognized.
Provide better health care
Providing sexual reproductive health care for adolescents and improving maternal health to help manage childhood illness, encourage safe childbirth and provide emergency care.
Create access to quality education
Building new schools, constructing water and hygiene solutions and providing vocational skills to help girls build brighter futures.
Help girls participate
Working with communities and governments to change attitudes and laws. Creating youth savings and loan groups to help provide livelihood opportunities, build independence and kick start girls’ futures.
When you become a project sponsor, it helps:
Register girls at birth
Ensuring that their legal right to an education, health care and protection are officially recognized.
Provide better health care
Providing sexual reproductive health care for adolescents and improving maternal health to help manage childhood illness, encourage safe childbirth and provide emergency care.
Create access to quality education
Building new schools, constructing water and hygiene solutions and providing vocational skills to help girls build brighter futures.
Help girls participate
Working with communities and local governments to change attitudes and laws. Creating youth savings and loan groups to help provide livelihood opportunities, build independence and kick start girls’ futures.
As a monthly Because I am a Girl donor you will receive:
- A welcome package in the mail in about a month
- Quarterly updates where you can read stories of hope and change, and see how your contributions are making an impact
- Emails from key Because I am a Girl supporters that share more about our objectives and impact
Still have questions? We can help!
What countries are supported by the Because I am a Girl project?
Plan International Canada’s Because I am a Girl project supports communities in dozens of countries around the world; these can include Bangladesh, Niger, Colombia, Tanzania, Mali, Ghana and Zimbabwe.
How does Because I am a Girl differ from sponsoring a child or community?
When you sponsor a child or community, you are supporting community-based projects in specific locations to help the children and families within those areas.
When you support Because I am a Girl, you join a growing movement of fellow Canadians who are also committed to helping champion girls’ rights. Together, you fund equality-driven programs spanning hundreds of communities around the world. You help reach girls worldwide with the support they need, helping save and transform lives, while driving equality forward. You will learn about girls’ rights issues and see the impact your support is making through the eyes of the girls you’re helping reach with empowerment opportunities.
If I become a monthly supporter, how long of a commitment am I expected to make?
The length of your commitment is up to you. Many of our Because I am a Girl project supporters have been involved for several years and find it to be an incredibly rewarding experience. Helping advance girls’ rights and achieving equality for girls will take time. The World Economic Forum estimates we won't achieve gender equality for another 132 years. Consistent long-term support is the key to driving fundamental shifts in mindsets and lasting change.
Why can’t I support a project that helps boys?
The Because I am a Girl project is designed to help advance equal rights starting with girls, as they are one of the groups most at-risk of human rights violations in the countries where we work. However, our projects offer meaningful opportunities for boys, too. Gender norms and negative stereotypes are harmful to boys and men, as well.
Gender equality benefits everyone, and it takes everyone being involved to achieve it, which is why we include boys, men, women and girls of all ages and community positions within our work. If we build a school, boys will also attend. If we educate young people about sexual and reproductive health and rights, boys learn as well. Only by working together can we create a more just and equal world where all children realize and achieve what they are capable of.
Support gender equality
Become a Because I am a Girl project supporter.
Your generous contributions will be matched by our funding partners meaning your support will reach more girls around the world.
Join our mailing list to receive updates
By signing up you agree to receive our emails.