Here’s the green-light (and some top tips) to start planning the Grand Opening of your own Pink LemonAid Stand. Together with friends and/or family, YOU can raise funds for Because I am a Girl developing world girl projects.

Anna did it!

Anna and her mom made a big batch of Because I am a Girl Pink LemonAid last year. They opened a Pink LemonAid stand at Anna’s primary school in Toronto, charging five cents per glass. In only one morning, they reached more than 100 people with information about the Because I am a Girl movement! Check out more photos from the event here.

Top Tips!

Here are some tips to making your Because I am a Girl Pink LemonAid stand a huge success!

• Decide what day, time and place you want to hold your event
• Promote your event with Pink LemonAid flyers in the downloadable kit
• Gather all your supplies: cups, lemonade, a folding table and decorations
• Set-up your stand with the kit items and get ready to serve
• Count your proceeds and submit them to Because I am a Girl

Celebrate Spring 2011 and support girls! Be a Pink LemonAid Stand hostess! Check out the step-by-step how-to or download the complimentary Pink LemonAid kit!

Get inspired! Have a look at pictures from our Celebrity Pink LemonAid Stand!

It wasn’t just a coincidence that all the victims were women. The school was an engineering school, and the gunman actively separated the women from the men. His “accusation” was that because they were studying in what was typically a male-dominated field (engineering), they must be feminists.

This accusation has parallels around the world, when women and girls are seen as “acting out” when they try to legitimately access their rights. This “acting out” is still seen as an excuse by many to commit violence against women. Whether it be a girl trying to go to school without permission in a community where she needs the okay of her father or brothers to leave the house, or woman who asks her husband to wear a condom because she expects that he’s been cheating on her, these should never be excuses for violence against women. There is no excuse for violence against women and girls.

Now, in Canada, we recognize December 6 as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

Though this event happened more than 20 years ago, it’s an important reminder for us that violence against women happens in Canada, too. Restructure! over at the Geek Feminism Blog notes that in Canada Aboriginal women and transgender women are especially at risk of violence here today.  The Canadian Government states that young women 15 to 24 are particularly vulnerable to violence in Canada:

“Between 1997 and 2006, young women (aged 15 to 24) were killed at a rate nearly three times higher than for all female victims of spousal homicide. During the same period, the rate of sexual assault for girls (under age 18) by family members was four times higher than for boys.”

Clearly, this is a day worth remembering, because the problem isn’t over.  STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN!

When we were told that we’d be going to Ottawa for the Because I am a Girl Technical Roundtable, we were beyond psyched, both to give our perspective to people working in the field and of course, the opportunity to go to the capital! With our bags packed and our speeches crammed onto cue cards, we boarded our train and made the best of over four hours. Safe to say we probably annoyed our fellow passengers with our initial laughing and joking but as we drew nearer to our destination, reality hit us: we were going to the Because I am a Girl Technical Roundtable on Urban Cities and Information & Communication Technologies. If the title itself wasn’t intimidating enough, we were going to present in front of professionals like the CEO of Plan Canada herself and people from organizations like CARE and UNICEF, just to name a few. Yikes!

On the first day, which focused on girls in cities, Amy, Saba and Manar presented their perspective on city life for girls. They were great! A calm wave of relief washed over our speakers as we finished the day with the Call to Action Workshop, where we got into groups and discussed how to tackle issues in the different levels of the industry. There was a lot of tricky jargon – intersectionality anyone? – but everyone was very helpful and explained terms we didn’t understand.

The evening was absolutely amazing as we took part in a special Because I am a Girl reception on Parliament Hill. The highlight of the evening was, without a doubt, hearing Sally Armstrong speak! She was so inspirational and we felt like giddy high school girls when we talked personally with her.

The second day was all about girls and ICTs and it was Zahra, Yasmin, and Maneesa‘s turn to speak. We gave the rest of the participants yellow cards so if they didn’t get our jargon they could raise the card, because they weren’t as young, modern or youthful as we are : ) With our little joke, our nerves were eased and we started our speeches. Before we knew it we were done, but we weren’t finished, the roundtable participants had many questions for us. We enjoyed answering their 
questions and they enjoyed asking them so we went 20 minutes over our time limit! After our speech we broke up into groups once more to discuss how to bring the ‘girl lens’ into the projects we were involved in. Before we knew it, it was time to catch our train! We had a wonderful time going to Ottawa for the Technical Roundtable. We learned so much, got to meet new people and have fun at the same time.

- Manar, Yasmin, Amy, Maneesa, Zahra, Saba (Members of Plan Canada’s Girls Speaker Bureau)

Yesterday, 6 girls from the Because I am a Girl Speakers Bureau (you’ve already met some of them here) headed to Ottawa to meet with international experts and policy makers. For two days they’re going to be talking about this year’s Because I am a Girl report…and most importantly, what are they going to do about it.

So, while our girls are negotiating politics on Parliament Hill with all the big wigs (like the Hon. Carolyn Bennett M.D and Plan Canada Pres/CEO Rosemary McCarney), I thought I’d share a couple of links with you!

Last week the Globe and Mail did a roundup of inspiring quotes from 10 Canadian women in power. Maybe we can learn some of their tricks?

Check out the recently released Global Gender Gap Report 2010, which ranks gender equity on a country-level in the areas of politics, education, employment and health. Canada doesn’t even rank in the top 15!!!

Or, if you want power in list form, check out Forbes annual list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.

Will we be seeing any of you on that list, oh faithful readers?

(photo credit: manitou2121)

STEREOS’ Daniel Johnson and The Artist Life’s Dean Richards

Degrassi Girls and Paula Roberts from Plan Canada

Check out Sarah Taylor‘s blog post about the event: Because I am a Girl I make pink lemonade out of life’s lemons.

Lisa Ray!

YTV The Next Star crew

Rod Black from TSN Sports is a girl for the day!

For more photos, check out the Because I am a Girl Flickr Photostream!

Are you ready for the Day of the Girl? This September 22, we’ll be celebrating girls in a big way. We’re asking the Canadian Government to recognize September 22 as the National Day of the Girl (sign the petition here to help convince them), and we’re also hoping that you’ll celebrate being a girl in your own way!

For us, that celebration means Pink LemonAid. No, not a delicious drink…a party to celebrate girls!  There are three ways you can get involved:

Come to a Celebrity Pink LemonAid Event
Because I am a Girl’s Celebrity Supporters will be selling lemonade at three stands around Toronto (check here for locations). Keep your eyes peeled for Lisa Ray, Tyler Kyte, Sarah Taylor, and cast members from Degrassi: The Next Generation and many more! All the proceeds will go to support Because I am a Girl.

Host your own Pink LemonAid Stand
If you can’t get to one of the Toronto stands, you can hold your own Pink LemonAid stand to raise awareness and donations for the Because I am a Girl campaign on September 22. We’ve got kits available online that will help you plan your event from start to finish. Think about holding one at your school, in your community, or on your front lawn!

Enter our Pink LemonAid Contest
Starting September 16, you can enter to win a Flip Cam by becoming a fan of our Facebook page and then entering the draw on the website. And then spread the word!

What is your plan for the Day of the Girl?  Come and Celebrate with the Because I am a Girl team at Pink LemonAid!

In this Web 2.0 world, of course, you can watch events and celebrations online…tune in any time.  They’ve also got a great YouTube channel where you can check out event highlights, interviews with athletes, and even wacky sports “advice” from the Youth Guru (watch her get wrestled by an Olympic Champion here!)

Here’s my favourite video from a Canadian girl that rocks, Jazmyne, who is competing in the oh-so-Canadian sport of canoeing:

Jazmyne’s self declared goal of going to the World Championships and the Olympics shows just how tough and committed she is.  First stop: Singapore Youth Olympic Games 2010.  She had a day of rest today, but will be competing tomorrow and hopefully for the gold on Wednesday!  You can also check out her blog here.

“One who is devoted to the promotion of human welfare and the advancement of social reforms; a philanthropist.”

To celebrate World Humanitarian Day, I thought I would introduce you to 10 amazing female humanitarians of our time. They include some royalty, a former first lady, activists, and intellectuals, from all four corners of the planet.

Diana, Princess of Wales
In her life, Diana was known for her compassion and kindness. One of her most well known humanitarian efforts was her support for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. She was especially concerned with landmines’ effects on children, injuring them long after a conflict is over.

Queen Rania
As the Queen of Jordan, Queen Rania is using her power to be an activist for many causes, especially children, education and community. She’s also a supporter of girls, such as through the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative. And the best part? You can follow her on Twitter or YouTube!

Graça Machel
The only person in the world to have been married to the presidents of two different nations, Graca Machel has put her power to good use. After starting out as a school teacher, she has continued to advocate for women and children throughout her life, including writing the introduction to each of our Because I am a girl reports!

Mother Theresa
Mother Theresa is well known for her commitment to the poor, sick, orphaned and dying in India and around the world. At one point, this included brokering a temporary cease-fire in Israel to evacuate 37 children trapped on the front lines of the conflict. Her greatest humanitarian action is perhaps inspiring thousands of others to follow in her footsteps. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

Aung San Suu Kyi
Currently under house arrest in Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi has led the opposition in that country and was denied leadership despite a landslide victory in 1990. As well as being a symbol of the global struggle against oppression, Aung San Suu Kyi continues to be an activist from her home for people struggling to achieve human rights internationally and in Burma.

Rigoberta Menchú Tum
Rigoberta Menchú Tum has been an advocate since her youth, proving that its never to early to start to fight for what you believe in. She is an advocate for indigenous rights in her home of Guatemala and internationally. In 1992, she won the Nobel Peace Prize for her activism, and is currently a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.

Shirin Ebadi
Shirin Ebadi stands for human rights. Despite threats on her life in her home country of Iran, she has continued her efforts to support democracy and the rights of women, children and refugees. She is the first ever Muslim woman to have received the Nobel Peace Prize which she was awarded in 2003.

Wangari Muta Maathai
First African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize and first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a Doctorate Degree — two major first for a single person! Wangari Muta Maathai is an advocate for the environment and sustainable development, which she links to democracy and peace. Her approach has been to work for change with her grandchildren in mind!

Louise Arbour
The Canadian on our list! Louise Arbour has a lot to take credit for. She is former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a former justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and a former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. Phew, busy schedule! She continues to work for justice and against conflict.

Angelina Jolie
Have you heard of her? When she’s not on your tv screen or the front of People magazine, Angelina Jolie is a committed humanitarian with a focus on children and refugees. She’s a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN High Commission for Refugees which takes her around the world as an advocate.

All these women are famous and well recognized, but as we saw from the definition above, that’s not a pre-requisite for being a humanitarian. If you’re someone “who is devoted to the promotion of human welfare and the advancement of social reforms,” you are a humanitarian too, famous and rich or not.

So tomorrow, on World Humanitarian Day, what are you going to do about it?

We’re about to do our very last show and I’m missing this already.  Over 30 schools from Vancouver to Winnipeg.  Hundreds of girls, and some boys too.  Honestly, it has been so fun!  Girls,  if any of you are reading this, I love you!!!

I love it when you ask really thoughtful questions, when you show that you’re really thinking and caring about girls’ rights.

One of the questions a lot of you have asked is this: what motivate you to do this?

Well, I work in radio and had a great opportunity to work in Ghana (where my family is from).  When I was there I worked on many human rights stories.  A lot of them involved women, and  I told the stories of women whose rights were being neglected.  Those stories had a strong impact on me.

So working with Tamara of the 411 Initiative for Change and Plan Canada was just a good fit.

But I realize that this isn’t over. You girls who said you want to be the one to make change are cooking up ideas, you’re changing the way you relate to each other and you’re thinking about girls your own age in other countries.

And the more you do this, the better the chances are that global change can happen.

You probably won’t believe this, but YOU motivate ME.

Bye everyone!  Thanks for the hugs and the high-fives!  Love you!

xo Nana