Maneesa says that watching the Because I am a Girl commercial on TV was a “wake up call”.

“I have been through, seen and heard of a lot of discrimination against girls and the ad went straight to my heart. I realized that I am a confident, young women and I have a voice. I wanted to make a difference”

That’s when she decided to join the Because I am a Girl Speaker’s Bureau to raise awareness of the issues facing girls globally. After training with Plan Canada, Maneesa and the rest of the Speakers’ have gone out into the world to spread the word about the Because I am a Girl campaign. Maneesa has spoken at the Girls Voices, Girls Visions Event at York University, and at the Because I am a Girl Fashion show, as well as other events.

She believes that the most important message that the Speakers’ Bureau passes on is that “girls deserve human rights but are not receiving them just yet.” But, through awareness, people will get involved and engaged in the issues and work towards this goal.

When I asked her how the Speakers’ are making a difference, she said, “Every event anyone of us has attended, we come back with the attention of at least one individual. I believe that one person can make a difference in our world.”

When she’s not out campaigning for the girls around the world, Maneesa immerses herself in the arts – she plays flute and just got an electric guitar, loves poetry, books and literature (in fact, she can’t go a day without reading). And, as you might have noticed, she has a thing for wild hats…this is one that she tried on after watching a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream!

Because she is a girl, Maneesa sees the power of one girl to make a big difference. Its something that she asks of herself, and of others around her. If she was here, she would probably ask,

Are you the one?