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Changing Society's Attitudes Towards Girls

changing attitudes to girls. Girls from a local dance group in Aceh, Indonesia

Changing Society’s Attitudes

towards girls

Because I am a Girl

We work with communities around the world – including in the UK – through creative and inspiring campaigning activities that improve the way society sees and values girls.

Our aim is to ensure that young girls around the world get the same opportunities as boys and make all communities more successful by allowing girls and women to flourish.

Take a look at some of our most successful activities from across the world.

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Making cities safer for girls

In October 2016 over 28,600 supporters signed a petition in solidarity with girls who feel at risk of abuse and danger in cities across the world. The petition called on world leaders to make safe and inclusive cities a priority of the outcomes of the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development.

Youth campaigners from Quito, supported by Plan International, delivered your signatures – speaking for the 20 million girls who every year move to cities and who often feel the most at risk of abuse and danger just from walking down the street.

Day of the girl group shot Plan UK

International Day of the Girl

In 2013 we achieved a major milestone in our efforts to promote girls’ rights when the United Nations agreed to establish International Day of the Girl – now celebrated every year on 11 October.

International Day of the Girl is an opportunity to draw global attention to girls' rights, and to change the way society sees and value girls.

#justatampon campaign

#JustATampon

The stigma and embarrassment attached to women’s periods contributes to gender inequality worldwide - girls often miss school when menstruating.

So in 2015, we launched a social media campaign with V Point News to end this stigma and support women around the world. 

We asked supporters to take a selfie with a tampon and donate to our menstruation-related projects, such as providing sanitary towels to girls in Uganda.

Our campaign attracted the headlines and created a storm on social media. 

Working with men and boys in Latin America

Working with boys and men

We are engaging young men aged 14 to 18 in Latin America to challenge harmful gender norms and stereotypes through our project Champions for Change. Young men receive training so that they can understand their role in helping to reduce violence against girls, become caring fathers and connect with other young men to promote gender equality in their families, schools and communities.

"I realised that saying things to women on the street offends them, that it is important to respect women, but young people in my community tell me I don’t act like a man if I do that." - Daniel (13), Guatemala

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Dating app stunt

on child marriage

We partnered with dating app Happn to shine the light on the 41,000 girls around the world who are forced into marriage every day.

For one day, instead of seeing lots of other single people to engage with, over 40,000 users were presented with just one profile. We eliminated daters’ dating choice to highlight the reality that girls face.

Samrawit, 15, Ethiopia

THE VALUE OF EDUCATING GIRLS

In Ethiopia, two in every five girls are married before their 18th birthday.

Samrawit was almost one of them. But because she was a member of a girls' club at her school, which aims to prevent child marriage and break down the barriers to girls getting an education, she spoke to her school facilitator about what was happening. They helped mediate conversations with her family, and now Samrawit is continuing her studies.

“My parents now understand about child marriage and its consequences,” she says. “They are happy that I am doing well with my education.”