Ndungu and Sarah, who ran the Edinburgh Marathon for girls recently (and Ndungu in a kilt, no less), share with us why girls are worth running a marathon for: Ndungu’s List: In poor countries, girls are often more marginalized than boys and therefore need a helping hand. Running 42 kilometers in 30 degrees heat seems [...]

A recent comment on the blog and also the Ethiopian elections made me think about women’s suffrage, a.k.a the right to vote and run for office.  Is it old news or still relevant? The first nation to give full suffrage to women was New Zealand in 1893. Today, more than 100 years later, we are [...]

When a girl asked this question after the presentation, I knew what she meant.  She was basically asking – how come you’re ignoring the boys? And when we do the presentation in schools where the boys are invited, I imagine they might be thinking the same thing. Success in overcoming poverty and other global issues [...]

At one of the school presentations today, a student asked “Isn’t it more relevant to have a Girl’s Rights presentation like this in one of the countries where early marriage and other issues are happening…how is a “Because I Am a Girl” campaign relevant here in Canada?” I told to her that in my travels, [...]

So, you probably know some pretty great women that are helping you beat hunger (ie, your mom).  On a broader level, women worldwide play a big role in food production, breadwinning and food preparation.  This puts them on the front lines against hunger – they have a big role in ensuring full bellies for their [...]

I want to share this awesome music video with you.  It’s not new, but it’s one of my favourites.  So check it out:

Masia has done a lot of traveling for her career as a rapper. One of the things she always says is that girls everywhere care about style and like to express themselves in creative ways.  Especially through what they wear. And it’s no different in Canada.  I think being creative shows a sense of independence [...]

What’s the difference and why does it matter? Being female is both a sex and a gender. The two words are often used interchangeably, but they actually mean different things. Sex refers specifically to the biological differences between men and women…the physical characteristics of our bodies. On the other hand, gender refers to the social [...]

It has been over 6 months since I’ve seen “home” and it is definitely starting to get to be a long journey on the road.  That said, I probably would have become more homesick if my tour mates were not such amazing and interesting individuals!  What better way to celebrate the roles of women and [...]

Check it out!  Plan staffers Sarah, Ndungu and Sangita are hitting the road to compete in the Edinburgh Marathon in less than a week!  Don’t they look tough? They’re half way to their goal of raising $5000 to support the Because I am a Girl campaign.  If you believe in the cause that they’re taking [...]