DAY OF THE GIRL...TODAY MALALA I FIGHT FOR YOU
***British doctors treating Malala have said that she may make a full recovery. Since I read about what happened to her, I've been devastated, this little girl reminds me so much of myself. There are a lot of women who have worked very hard behind the scenes to make her dream a reality, and I want her to be able to see that. Finally, some positive news :) ***
When I was told a few years ago that it was time for me to step more into my role of doing women's rights work, I definitely cried for probably a week straight, because I knew that it was the same as accepting a death sentence. I knew that this path would most likely lead to a very early death, something that I never really thought wouldn't be a part of my life. At 28 (and about to have another birthday soon) I'm shocked that I'm still alive.
While I can't exactly talk about the type of planetary work I do (someday everything will be revealed) what I can say is that it is so dangerous and we have pushed our bodies to such extremes that I've spent every single day for years now, wondering if this is the day in which my body will be pushed to such an extreme that I won't come back from it. My entire life up until this point has been about death, and while I guess it's clear that I might now survive this process, I've been spending a lot of time lately grieving. Grieving the loss of the last 6 years of my life which were willingly signed over to the universe, so that I could do this work. I've lost everything in this process, but it's days like today that make me feel like whatever has been taken from me, is really nothing in comparison to the larger picture.
What is today? Well it's the first ever International Day of the Girl. A day to raise awareness of issues that girl's face worldwide, and to bring an end to discrimination, violence, abuse and oppression that girls face because they're girls.
"This successful campaign to establish the United Nations International Day of the Girl was led in the US by School Girls Unite, an organization of students and young women leaders determined to advance the UN Millennium Development Goals related to gender equality and universal basic education, and other human rights issues. Our mission mirrors the United Nations General Assembly Resolution on the International Day of the Girl Child, approved on December 19, 2011:
“To help galvanize worldwide enthusiasm for goals to better girls’ lives, providing an opportunity for them to show leadership and reach their full potential.”
You can learn more about Day of the Girl at the links below:
http://dayofthegirl.org/
http://dayofthegirlsummit.com/
What issues are Girls in the US facing?
"In 2010, women who worked full time, year round, still only earned 77 percent of what men earned.
It might be illegal to discriminate against girls when hiring, but girls are still entering “pink collar” jobs (teaching, childcare, nursing, caregiving, waitressing, etc.) more than others. This may be because of society or family expectations.
54% of 3rd-5th grade girls worry about their appearance. By the time they reach high school, that number rises to 78%.
70% of girls who give birth drop out of school.
In one year, almost 1.5 million high school girls are victims of dating abuse.
More than 20% of all teenagers report experiencing either physical or emotional abuse from a dating partner, and those are just the people that report it.
These are just statistics in the United States. Worldwide, girls face issues such as child marriage, discrimination, lack of access to education, gender stereotyping, and much more. Because of this, the United Nations has created Day of the Girl, a day to raise awareness for the unique issues girls face around the world, and to celebrate girls on their quest to equality. The first annual Day of the Girl will be held on October 11, 2012."
http://www.care2.com/causes/why-is-it-important-to-celebrate-girls.html
