You’re probably familiar with Craigslist, the online marketplace. Along with used furniture and roommates wanted, the site has also featured an “erotic” section, with some of the ads being used to traffic children (and especially girls).

Change.org successfully campaigned in the US to have the adult section of Craigslist banned, an action they say “halved the total number of prostitution ads online.”

In December, Craigslist in Canada also went this direction, removing its erotic services section.

While shutting this sinister aspect of Craigslist down doesn’t mean that child trafficking has been eliminated in Canada, it means that pedophiles won’t have the convenience provided by the Craigslist marketplace to find young girls for sex.

Girls: one
Trafficking: zero.

(photo credit: acloudman)

A lot.

Stephen Harper has decided to focus on maternal health during this summer’s summit (say that 10 times fast!): Every year, nearly nine million children and 500,000 women die from causes we know how to prevent. In most cases it’s due to a simple lack of access to the necessities of life that we take for granted for ourselves and our own children here in Canada: basic health care, trained healthcare providers, medicine, nutrition and clean water.

A comprehensive Canadian-led G8 initiative on infant and maternal health will save children and women from preventable deaths.

Learn more about maternal health:

• Did you know that the leading cause of death for girls aged 14-19 worldwide is pregnancy? Learn the facts about maternal health.
• Read a speech by Plan’s Dr. Tanjina Mirza on Ensuring accountability for maternal, child health and new born care.
• Read a Toronto Star opinion piece by Belinda Stronach about the importance of focusing on the bigger issue of maternal and infant health.

Make your voice heard! Check out how here.

Taking Girl Power to the United Nations
A burning desire to improve the lives of girls everywhere has catapulted 17-year-old Saba Ghahari from her Stoney Creek home to New York City today where she is at the United Nations fighting youth gender inequities and injustices…

The war on baby girls: Gendercide
Killed, aborted or neglected, at least 100m girls have disappeared—and the number is rising…

Gender Matters!  Can the UN Bring Change?
Blogger Wendy Harcourt suggests that “There is a sense that Beijing promises were great on paper but the implementation has not brought women’s rights nor freedom and autonomy to the centre of development.” She concludes her comments on the recent conference by saying “As usual, I and most of the women here have many more questions than answers.”

Also check out:

IPS TerraViva is a special site created for the Commission on the Status of Women meeting in New York by the IPS news site that “gives voice to gender equality” (put it in your bookmarks!).  Here are some of the stories that they reported during the conference on issues faced by women, including lack of access to income, sexual violence, water shortages, maternal rights, and access to land.

And if you didn’t hear enough from the Speakers’ Bureau’s visit to New York, check out all their posts here.

The Globe and Mail calls for increased investment in girls to reduce global poverty.

Belinda Stronach, in a Globe editorial piece says that investing in girls pays off in social and economic progress.

The Star looks at the challenges girls across the world face every day.

The Regina Leader Post describes the economic benefits of investing in the education, protection and health of girls to reduce global poverty.

Our friends at Torontoist also talked about the Because I am a Girl launch on Tuesday.

Leviana Coccia has been a huge Because I am a Girl supporter. Take a look at her three posts on this vitally important cause:

• because i am a girl
• biaag campaign article from the globe and mail
• because i am a girl update

In Ottawa, Imanot is also inspired by the prospect of positive social change.