Over the years here on the Because I am a Girl blog we’ve met a bunch of ladies that are using sport to change perceptions of what being a girl is all about. They’re also using sports to raise awareness and dollars for girls’ rights. Meet these amazing and inspiring changemakers! Jenn Heil and the [...]

It started as a challenge in Canada and ended as a celebration in Rwanda. After alarming research found that girls in Canada would rather be called “stupid” instead of “fat”, smartwater and the Jenn Heil Challenge for the Because I am a Girl Initiative decided to find and highlight Canada’s own smartgirls in a nation [...]

Having the International Day of the Girl added to the World Calendar is a critical step in helping to empower young women across the World. The World Calendar focuses one day a year on a certain cause. The “International Day of the Girl” will lead to international recognition and celebration of the power of girls; [...]

The search is over! Earlier this year, smartwater and Because I am a Girl went on a nationwide search to find a team of smartgirls to head to Rwanda on a once-in-a-lifetime trip with Olympian Jenn Heil. The three lucky (and inspiring!) ladies are packed and ready to go – they’ll be leaving on a [...]

In 1994, Rwanda was in the global spotlight for its genocide where an estimated 850,000 people were killed in 100 days. Almost 20 years later, Rwanda is recovering, trying to move on from its brutal history. However, there is still room for improvement – starting with getting more girls to school. Girls with education have [...]

Most of the girls that have joined the Because I am a Girl campaign are not kidding around.  In fact, they are pretty serious about their commitment to girl power, and they are clearly demonstrating their own girl power in the kinds of actions that they’re taking.  Take a look: This past Mother’s Day, 320 [...]

Yesterday’s Globe and Mail front page is all about girls! Above the fold, a huge picture of Canada’s heros, the Women’s National Hockey Team stares out at you. As we’d hoped, all the ladies are biting down on gold medals! Yay Girls! Lower down on the page it gets interesting, with an article about how [...]

If you haven’t heard already, yesterday Jenn Heil, the Olympic Silver Medalist for Freestyle Mogul Skiing and a big Because I am a Girl supporter made a big announcement: she is giving $25,000 to the Because I am a Girl Campaign!!! Jenn and teammate Alexandre Bilodeau both decided to give money to charity after their [...]

The torch has almost reached Vancouver and the snow has been trucked and flown in. It can only mean one thing: the Vancouver 2010 Olympics are about to start! Freestyle Mogul Skier and Because I am a Girl Ambassador Jennifer Heil will kick off the competitions with her events on February 13, 2010 and has [...]