When we think of child soldiers, the image of a young boy with a gun is often what comes into our head. One of the HotDocs screening next week at the Canadian Documentary Film Festival reminds us that girls also make up ranks in child armies, and not just as commanders wives or cooks, but [...]

The Film: South Africa’s Rough Aunties clean up messes. Community messes, like helping children to access child services after being abused, supporting the police department in investigations about rape and sexual assault, or console a woman who’s son had drowned in the river. This group of women, each who have experienced abuse, rape, poverty, HIV-positive [...]

One of the Because I am a Girl Campaign’s main initiatives is to support Girl Friendly Education. But what exactly does it mean and how is it different from other education initiatives? There are a number of unique factors that impact whether a girl is safe and supported at school, or even if she can [...]

This week I got a head start on Hot Docs by watching These Girls. The film was about a group of girls living on the street of Cairo, Egypt, and the issues they face on a daily basis. The film didn’t try to tell a story, reach a climax, or weigh in on the issues [...]

At the table is a coalition campaign designed to enforce change around the world. It is a campaign where citizens of the world will feel empowered to “take their place” at the G8 and G20 summit tables. The mandate of this umbrella initiative is to bring like-minded organizations together such as non-governmental organizations, labour, student and [...]

The Basics: Maternal health means the health of mothers, and healthy mothers usually mean healthier babies. An article in this week’s Globe and Mail starts out with this fact: “Every day around the world, a thousand women die during pregnancy and childbirth – usually from preventable causes. The tragedy doesn’t end there, because half their [...]

Learn how one girl decides to make a difference in her community. Meet Willa – she decided to shave off her hair to raise funds for a good cause. Listen to her story and feel inspired!

On Saturday night, I had to make a speech. AAAaaaaak! (*Speakers’ Bureau Girls, I don’t know how you do it!). But, it was for a good cause: Because I am a Girl, of course! A Toronto Women’s Choir, the Cantores Celestes, held a concert this weekend and donated $1000 of ticket sales to Because I [...]

I often refer to the Because I am a Girl reports when I’m talking about the issues that girls face around the world. On the surface, a report about anything (even girls) sounds pretty boring. I want to tell you why these reports are not boring. Right now, Plan has a group of 135 girls [...]

Hey girls – we’re wondering are you the ONE to represent Canada at the G(irls) 20 Summit? The summit is taking place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from June 16 to 18. Organizers are looking for passionate, solution-oriented, forward-thinking women between the ages of 18-20 to attend the summit. They are looking for one girl to represent [...]