We know that climate change has an impact on the environment around us, but did you know that it also has an impact on people?

The dangers of climate change are very real: the world will experience more frequent and intense droughts, floods, storms and cyclones, heat waves and other extreme weather events.

And when bad weather happens, it doesn’t affect everyone equally – it hits society’s most vulnerable the hardest.

So what’s the connection between girls and climate change? Last June, Plan published a report called Weathering the storm: Adolescent girls and climate change that looked closely at the issues. When disaster strikes, girls rights are at risk.

Death by disaster: In countries where girls’ rights are weakest, girls are also less likely than boys to survive a disaster.  A big part of this is that girls are discouraged from learning survival skills like swimming or climbing, so they are unable to swim or climb to safety. Also, boys are more likely to be rescued. After the crisis, women and girls suffer more from food shortages, as well as lack of privacy and safety for sleeping and bathing and increased risk of sexual assault in camps.

Out of school: For families living in poverty, disasters add pressure to their already difficult lives. Domestic duties add up, and there is pressure on girls to stay home from school to look after the home. . Girls from Ethiopia who were interviewed for the report talked about how the drought in their country increased the time they had to spend fetching water for their families. If girls are called on to earn money for the family, it also has a big impact on their right to education.

Early marriage: For over-stretched families, sending a daughter to be married means one less mouth to feed. In Uganda, during periods of drought, this is sometimes called a “famine marriage.” As families struggle to survive, receiving a “bride price” can be a quick fix for acute poverty.

Without a voice: Even though girls and women are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change, their voices are often left out when it comes to making decisions about what to do about it. Plan is helping to make sure that girls are at the table, like Beatrice, a young journalist from Kenya who attended a recent UN Climate Change Conference.

Did you know? Traditional roles of men and boys can affect them negatively in disaster as well. Society expects men to be brave and heroic, leading to expectations that they should carry out high-risk rescue activities.

Like in so many kinds of pop-culture, women in hip hop are often portrayed in unrealistic ways – either mysoginistically or as superwomen – what makes a guy decide to write a girl power song? Today, Shad weighs in on why he wrote Keep Shining and why it’s important for guys to get involved in girls’ issues.

KJ: What made you decide to write “Keep Shining”?

Well that was a song that kind of started as one thing and then changed as I was writing it. Before I started the first verse, I was thinking about the women I came across at shows and just in life and how I wanted to try doing something fun for them. Then by the end of that verse I was on another tip, thinking about what space I should even be occupying as far as addressing women or female issues and other things around gender and hip hop… So the song took me on a little journey but what I like most about what came out of it is that all the verses ended up going to whole other place that isn’t about gender at all is just about perseverance and loving yourself.

My mom taught me where to keep my heart.
My aunt taught me how to sing two parts.
My sis taught me how to parallel park,
And tried to teach me math but she way too smart.
My grandma in the 80s is still sharp.
My girl’s cousin is in activism in art.
They taught there’s no curls too tight, no mind too bright, no skin to dark
To keep shining.



KJ: Did you get any flack from guys for writing this kind of song?

I haven’t gotten flack from guys really. Usually people keep their criticisms to themselves, for better or for worse.


KJ: Why is it important for guys to get involved with girls issues?

I think it’s important a) because we’re all human beings so all our issues are connected and hinder all of us if they’re unresolved and b) because we all know how it feels when someone is willing to listen and even advocate for you instead of you having to fight for yourself all the time. It can mean and do a lot.

KJ: Congratulations on your Rap Recording of the Year Juno win! Did you know that in 20 years, only two women (Michie Mee and Eternia) have ever been nominated in this category? Why do you think that is?

I think hip hop is still growing in a lot of ways. There’s a lot of voices and perspectives that are still under-represented. If our artists can be brave and creative and everything else we genuinely love about rap, that should change fast.

KJ: How are the lives of girls in Rwanda compared to girls in Canada? How are they the same?

Rwanda has a really impressive record as far as women in positions of power in government, so there seems to be those kinds of opportunities and role models. I couldn’t tell you too much beyond that though.

What is your favourite girl power song by a male artist?

photo courtesy the come up show

Sticking with our theme of boys and men who have taken on The Girl Issue, today’s male supporter is Rick Miller, an award-winning theatre actor, voice actor comedian and playwright, as well as dad to two daughters.

Rick created All About Eve, a presentation that compares and contrasts a girl in Canada and a girl in a developing country.

The best thing about All About Eve is that you can download it, mash it up, add your own voice, and present it to your school or community as well to help raise awareness about girls’ rights! Join a Because I am a Girl Girls’ Club at planyouth.ca to get the download!

KJ: Can you tell me about the All About Eve program?

I was approached by a Because I am a Girl staffer who had seen Bigger Than Jesus, one of my solo shows. She especially liked that social issues were being raised in a multimedia performance and we talked about how it could apply to Because I am a Girl.

What emerged was All About Eve, a multimedia presentation co-created with my colleague Sean Lynch and illustrated by Crystal Lancaster. Both Sean and I have two daughters, and we wanted to find a way to communicate girls’ issues in an exciting way to a large audience.

KJ: Why is drama and theatre a good way to raise awareness about girls’ issues?

We are a culture inundated with information. One way to stand out and bring important information to life is to tell stories through drama.

Stories reach deeper because they tap into to our emotions. We want girls to take this live presentation and make it their own, adding their own words and ideas. I think most kids are natural performers and storytellers. And they love to talk about things that have substance and impact.

KJ: Why is it important for men and boys to get involved with girls’ issues?

This is about all human beings coming together to realize that our actions have concrete effects, and there are things we can do right now that will not only help girls in the developing world, but can have an impact on the global well-being of our species.

As a father of young girls, I am constantly urging my kids to look beyond themselves to a larger, interconnected world that desperately needs their empathy, compassion and love. The same applies to boys and men, perhaps even more so because those values are not traditionally encouraged in males.

KJ: What do you do to encourage your daughters to be globally minded?

My main message is that we have to take care of our home and its inhabitants. With my 5 year old this means talking honestly about emotions, feelings and how our choices affect others. With my 9 year old it’s more about global news and how fortunate we are to live in a relatively peaceful society where we have all that we need at our fingertips.

KJ: What’s your best tip for men and boys that want to support girls’ rights?

I would start with this big idea: we are all not only born of a mother, but we are all descendants of one woman who lived in Africa many generations ago.

Men and boys need to recognize that they can learn a whole lot from women and girls, because they have a unique ability to care for family and community. What boys typically have is energy and drive, and I would encourage them to apply it to an awesome cause like Because I am a Girl. It not only feels good, but it does good too.

For a chance to see Rick onstage, come see HARDSELL at the Factory Theatre in Toronto from Oct 13-23 2011. Girls’ issues aren’t just part of the performance – Rick is donating his salary to the Because I am a Girl campaign.

Have you ever used drama or theatre to raise awareness about an issue that you feel passionately about?

Rathika Sitsabaiesan is 29 years old, born in Sri Lanka, and the first female Member of Parliament (MP) ever to be elected in the Scarborough-Rouge River riding in Ontario.

Today, she gives us the inside scoop on how writing a letter to your MP about an issue you care about – like girls’ rights – can make a difference!

KJ: What kind of mail do you get in your office?

People write to let me know about issues that are important to them and to request assistance with federal issues. We get letters with information about campaigns and invitations to meet with constituents about their concerns.

We continue to receive of letters and messages of congratulations after the recent election. Constituents of Scarborough-Rouge River and people across the country are very excited about having more youth, women and people of colour representing them in Ottawa.

My critic area is Post-Secondary Education, which means that when this issue comes up in parliament, I am the go-to person to talk about it for my party. I often receive mail about my critic area and invitations to local events.

KJ: What makes a letter stand out?

A letter stands out when it is personal. It is important for me to know the issues that are important to my constituents and how these issues impact my constituency.

KJ: What can people expect when they mail or email their MP?

If someone has taken the time to write to their MP, their letter deserves a response. MPs are elected to represent their constituents, so if the letter is about casework we communicate with the appropriate federal department. Additionally Members of Parliament can bring the issue to their Caucus, we can write letters to the Minister who is responsible for the particular issue as well as raise the issue in the House of Commons through questions and statements.

KJ: What are some other ways to engage with an MP in support of the Day of the Girl?

In addition to writing letters, people can engage with their MP by meeting with them and their staff. They can host an event or town hall in September to raise awareness of the Day of the Girl and invite their MP to attend and speak. Petitions are also a great way to show support for a cause.

KJ: Do you have any tips for girls that want to get into politics?

Girls are powerful and have strong voices that need to be heard. Getting involved in your community and standing up for issues that you are passionate about is a great way to get into politics. Girls can also volunteer with their MP in their constituency or parliamentary offices.

Write to your Member of Parliament to ask them to support the Day of the Girl! 

Right
A right is something to which a person is entitled, legally or morally. It’s different from a privilege (an advantage that is enjoyed) or a responsibility (a duty or being accountable for something).

For example, education is a right. Going to school at a specialized private school is a privilege. Making sure you show up for class is a responsibility.

Freedom
Freedoms are closely related to rights and are basically the freedom to exercise choice. Having freedom is “the condition of being free of restraints.”

Some examples are the freedom of movement, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.

Human Rights
Human rights are: “basic rights and freedoms that all people are entitled to regardless of nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, race, religion, language or other status.”

Human rights…

• Are universal – they apply to every single human being
• Can exist in international and national law (Canadian’s human rights are enshrined in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms)
• Are protected by the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and other international instruments, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
• Include civil and political rights, as well as economic, social and cultural rights.

Girls’ Rights
Girls’ rights are not different than human rights, but focusing on girls’ rights recognizes that girls should never be excluded from the same rights that others have. Girls’ rights are about equality and the freedom for girls to demand the same rights that are afforded to everyone else. Unfortunately, we are still on a mission to make sure that girls are able to access their rights on a daily basis around the world!

A girl babysits her younger sibling while attending class in Laos

Does your mom make you clean up your room, take out the garbage and mow the lawn?

Would your mom ever ask you to skip school or homework to get these tasks done?

To us, it sounds ludicrous – of course school comes first! But, for many girls in the developing world, household chores are given priority.

Chores meet child labour

A girl in Haiti does the family laundry

Girls in developing countries often have a lot of responsibility around the house, usually more than their brothers. Cooking, cleaning, gathering food and water, helping take care of younger brothers and sisters are all part of the daily lives of girls around the world.

Did you know? According to UNICEF, child labour doesn’t just mean paid work – if girls under the age of 14 are required to do more than 28 hours of chores per week, it is considered child labour.

Chores can leave girls without a future

Girls in Rwanda collect water

These responsibilities can have a big impact on girls’ lives – they may prevent her from going to school and getting the skills and education she needs to find paid work. Girls’ rights are often restricted by their heavy workload and their low bargaining position in the household and the community.

As well, girls are often the first people to be held back from school if their family needs an extra pair of hands around the house.

Chores are part of everyone’s lives, but when they interrupt education, the cost for a girls’ future is huge.

What kind of chores do you have to do around the house? Are you the family babysitter, dishwasher or lawn mower?

Girl in Bangladesh embroidering cloth. Photo Credit: Plan Canada

Check the labels in your t-shirt drawer. Chances are, more than a few were made in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is a small country next to India with a huge garment industry, where many girls and women work to produce clothes for brands that we buy on a daily basis.

The Bad: Factory work can be exploitative, with girls working for long hours and in bad conditions. Discrimination against women still exists and can lead to unfair wages or girls not having control over their earnings. Often, girls are still expected to do a disproportionate amount of housework when they get home from work, compared to the boys in their family. Work is also a problem when it interferes with education.

“In the Bangladeshi garment industry, a big employer of young women, work days are 10 to 12 hours long, factory buildings are often overcrowded, congested and poorly ventilated; and garment workers are regularly exposed to toxic dyes, fibre
particles, and dust.” – Because I am a Girl Report 2009

The Good: Girls in the garment industry in Bangladesh have an unprecedented opportunity to earn money for themselves and their families. Their work helps them gain skills and independence. Girls are also advocating for themselves by forming unions and being leaders in the workplace.

We are connected to girls in Bangladesh through the clothes we wear. There is no easy answer to whether we should continue to buy clothes from Bangladesh, given what we know about these working conditions. If we boycott the clothes, girls will lose the hard won gains that they have made in the industry. If we fail to act, conditions won’t improve.

From my perspective, the answer is to support girls in the workforce to help them assert their rights to a safe and healthy working environment, fair wages, and freedom from exploitation.

Reading, writing and counting are things that we do in our everyday lives to fulfil our basic needs. We use math to do our grocery shopping, we use writing to communicate with others, and we use reading to know what is going on around us. These skills are invaluable to getting ahead in life and knowing our rights.

Literacy and poverty are connected. Living in poverty makes it difficult to access education, and lack of literacy education makes it tough to climb out of poverty. Literacy is key to ending poverty, especially for girls.

Did you know?

• In Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Guinea less than 30% of the population is literate? That means that 2 out of 3 people are unable to read and write.
• 796 million adults around the world (more than 1 in every 10 adults) are not able to read and write – about two-thirds of them are women
• 61% of the 131 million young people globally who lack basic literacy skills are girls.

A girl in Brazil visits a Children’s Book Fair as part of Plan’s Literacy Project

A girl babysits her sister while while making a visit to a Plan-supported mobile library in Timor Leste.

Four friends read a Plan magazine promoting children’s rights in Nicaragua.

A girl from Pakistan reads a school book paid for by a Plan scholarship.

A girl in Haiti reading with friends in a Plan-constructed school

How would your life be restricted if you couldn’t read, write or count?

(All photos courtesy of Plan Canada)

Angen (21) holds the baby she gave birth to while fleeing violence in the Ivory Coast. Photo Credit: Plan Canada

“Climbing over razor wire fences, taking to sea in leaking boats or stowing away in airless containers, refugees and migrants around the world risk their lives every day in desperate attempts to find safety or a better life.” – UN High Commission for Refugees.

The basics

There are two types of displaced people – those that have to leave their country (refugees) and those who have to move from their homes but remain in their own country (internally displaced people).

Today we’re talking about refugees.

Did you know? Not all refugees live in camps. For example, Canada admits thousands of refugees every year who build new lives for themselves in cities around the country.

Why do refugees leave their homes?

• Fleeing persecution, conflict and violence
• Seeking employment or educational opportunities
• Want to reunite with family members

On the move

Leaving a country as a refugee can be dangerous – refugees often leave without official documentation (like a passport or visa). They may use unauthorized border crossing points or seek the help of smugglers to get into a new country. The only escape route may involve inhumane conditions or leave refugee girls open to exploitation and abuse.

Angen, a 21 year old refugee from the Ivory Coast who is now in Liberia, was nearing her due date when violence in her community forced her to flee. Her baby girl was born during the family’s escape, with only the help of her nine year old daughter. After giving birth, Angen had to walk for several more days through jungle and swamp with her newborn to safety.

After the escape

Reaching the border doesn’t always mean that a refugee has reached safety. It may be a challenge to cross the border and enter the country legally, so many girls and their families enter their new country illegally out of desperation. Without legal documentation, girls are open to exploitation and are often unable to access education, healthcare or employment.

Despite the relative safety of Liberia, Angen is finding it hard to put food on the table for her three children. She is staying with a local farmer who is putting up more than 40 refugees. And like several other refugees in the same village, Angen has not heard from her husband who stayed behind in the Ivory Coast.

To learn more about girls in refugee camps, check out: A Girl’s Life: Living in a Refugee Camp.

Learn more about human rights issues facing girls in 5 different countries:

Democratic Republic of Congo

WAR is the biggest threat to girls in the Congo in Africa. Years and years of fighting have seen girls and women caught in the cross-fire. Just living in this country is a threat to personal safety!

Girl in Cuba. Photo Credit: WikiCommons

Cuba

Some girls are prisoners in their own countries! Special permission from the government is needed by Cuba’s citizens, including girls and women, to leave the country. This is against girls’ right of freedom of movement, including the right to leave and return to a country.

Saudi Arabia

If you are a woman in Saudi Arabia, then you are STILL fighting for your right to VOTE! This is a violation of the right to take part in the government of their country – THIS right has been recorded in the UN Declaration of Human Rights.

Girl at school in Afghanistan. Photo Credit: WikiCommons

Afghanistan

Going to a school for girls in Afghanistan can potentially be a death sentence. Did you know – Between March and October 2010, 20 schools were attacked and 126 students were killed. This action is a direct attack on the right to education for both boys and girls, but because the targets are often girls’ schools, girls are disproportionately affected.

India

Many girls in India do not marry for LOVE; families often arrange marriages and girls can be married as young as 5-years-old.

Girl from Udaipur, India. Photo credit: Plan Canada

Despite the fact that India eliminated the caste class system, “honour” killings of women and girls continue if a family is shamed or humiliated by the actions of a daughter. One of the main reasons for these killings is when a girl marries someone outside of her caste (social class or social circle) or religion. This is a violation of a girl’s right to marry “without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion.”

Learn more about early marriage customs and traditions in this National Geographic photo story: Child Brides: Too Young to Wed.

Girls’ rights are being violated – this is why girls need a special attention. The Because I am a Girl campaign will continue to fight for girls’ rights!