Amy doesn’t just talk the talk, she also walks the walk. This past March, she represented girls everywhere at the UN Conference on the 54th Session on the Commission of the Status of Women in New York! For more about Amy’s experience at the conference, check out her blog posts here, here and here.

The cool thing about the Speakers’ Bureau is that its girls advocating for girls, rather than people trying to speak on our behalf. Amy notes,

“Its not lawyers, PhDs or anyone else advocating for girls but girls themselves! We are girls so we know the problems that we face the best.”

So what makes people listen to what the Speakers’ Bureau is saying? According to Amy, its because “girls are not being heard around the world, so when a girl does speak, people listen.” She believes that making these voices heard is important, especially to highlight the hardships that girls go through.

Because she’s a girls action superstar, I asked Amy what she recommends for other girls who are interested in getting involved with global girls issues. Her tips? Be proactive and remember that Google is a girls’ best friend (or was that diamonds?). Just like Wayne Gretzky, Amy believes that you miss 100% of the chances you don’t take, so get on the internet, find something happening in your community, and don’t be afraid to go for it. And be ready for some hard work: advocating for girls takes time and effort.

In true spokesperson style, before she signed off from our interview, Amy made sure she made one last point:

“We need to make sure that people are aware of the trials and problems these girls face. Ignorance is NOT bliss.”

I thought it might be useful to look a little closer at what exactly the Beijing Declaration is…

First and foremost, the Beijing Declaration is a platform for action.  Not a platform for sitting around and doing nothing.

The main goal is to ensure that women are able to fully enjoy “all human rights and fundamental freedoms.”  But the Declaration also acknowledges that women currently do not have full access to their rights and freedoms in all cases around the world.  So, it identifies several specific areas that need action – these are areas that act as obstacles to women enjoying their rights and freedoms.  The 12 areas that are listed in the Declaration are:

• Women and Poverty
• Education and Training of Women
• Women and Health
• Violence against Women
• Women and Armed Conflict
• Women and the Economy
• Women in Power and Decision-making
• Institutional Mechanism for the Advancement of Women
• Human Rights of Women
• Women and the Media
• Women and the Environment
• The Girl-child

If you want to read more, you can link to the full declaration here.

Every five years from when the Beijing Declaration was drafted, the world does a stop and check to see how its doing on reaching the document’s goals.  That’s what’s happening in New York right now, and the girls from the Speakers’ Bureau are there to weigh in on how they think that the world is doing to improve the status of women.

If you had the chance to weigh in, how would you say the world is doing in improving the status of women?

I woke up and looked across from me, there was Donnady sleeping, and then I looked the other way and there was Amy. Then a sudden realization hit me…I was in New York! This morning I had my interview live with CHML radio in Hamilton. I had never been live on the radio before and I was seriously nervous. The phone was handed to me before I could even think of what my voice would sound like or more importantly…what I would say. I think I answered the questions pretty well; I talked about Day of the Girl and the problems that I thought girls faced. My family was really proud of me (as they should be).

Saba, Donnady and Amy in New York

We went to UNICEF for my “supposed” interview but we had mixed up our schedule and it was not today. So we went to this café and I ended up having a not so yummy breakfast- warning: oatmeal doesn’t taste good. Today was the big day for me because today was our event for Day of the Girl! I was super excited and could not wait to present. However, first we had to rehearse and practice and practice and inevitably…practice.

Mid speech Dreeni walked in to tell me that I had another interview with the Hamilton Spectator! I was shocked, I mean since when was I getting interviews? So I rushed over and luckily I really didn’t have time to hyperventilate. The interview went alright, I felt sort of like a celebrity today being interviewed and such. I learned a lot about interviewing today, only answer what you want to and remember your answer doesn’t always have to be what they want to hear. By the time I hung up the phone, I was filled with enough energy to go back to Siham’s room and kill the participatory activity this time. Anyways, we got pizza for lunch!!! Yes!!

I have to say that I love event time and presentations…maybe it’s the actress kicking in or just the fact that we would be getting our message across to so many people. The event started of with the song “I am Super Girl” and it flew by. The monologues were my favourite part; we stood in a circle “making the world” and turned each time so the next girl could say her part. Hearing everyone’s opinions of why they want a Day for Girl’s was great and the audience was engaged. I am really happy because I think we got the message across and when the time came a lot of positive feedback was given. I greatly appreciated everyone’s feedback and people seemed to want to sign the petition. Of courses, we ended up taking lots of pictures on this awesome statue; I know for sure that these are the pictures that I am going to cherish for the rest of my life.

To celebrate we headed off for dinner. I could tell you what I had but then I’d probably make you hungry. So guess what I did next? Okay, think reception…the Canadian Reception! I’d never been to one of these kinds of receptions so we all got ready and headed off. The reception was in the UN building so it was really close. I love the UN building, there is so much in it and it’s extraordinary- filled with art and sculptures of all kinds. When entering the reception I finally got to meet the Canadian Minister on the Commission on the Status of Women for Canada. She was really nice and we got to take a picture with her. What I found odd at the reception was that Amy and I were the only girls there. I met a couple of people and they all had some message to share. I think that’s what it so great about these receptions is that you can mingle and meet all kinds of people!

On our way out, I looked around just to make sure that I was actually still in New York and I had not just walked out of a fantasy. The life I have here seems unreal and I love every minute of it. Maybe it’s because I am not used to this kind of city with lots of tall buildings and where so many opportunities are available. Being here has giving me lots of chances to think which is perfect because when we got back after the reception I had to partake in a research study. The atmosphere for this was not as demanding, and I felt really comfortable answering her questions. I am getting used to this whole interview process, and who knows maybe this will one day come in handy!

I do not take anything that has happened to me here for granted, even as I sit here and blog. I have a voice and whether you want it or not I am going to use it.

Tomorrow looks like it is filled with a lot of awesome events- I will be watching my friends rock on!

Saba

This week, the United Nations is meeting to look at how the status of women has changed in the 15 years since creating the Beijing Declaration, a commitment to achieve greater equality and opportunity for women. Three of the members of the Because I am a Girl Speakers’ Bureau are in New York to learn and contribute.  We’ll be following the girls as they make their voices heard in this international forum!

Today, 16-year old Amy from Toronto shares her first impressions:

The UN opening session. A girls-only workshop. A tour around the Big Apple to top it off. And a press interview! What else can a girl ask for?

And that is exactly how I felt the whole day. Today offered me an amazing chance to see the UN in action! Yes, there is a lot of jargon I don’t understand but I pride myself in knowing and getting a couple of jokes here and there. The opening session really opened up an opportunity for me to see how the people at the UN level see the problems in gender inequality and the problems girls are facing today. I definitely can’t wait to come back!

Facing the UN building, high on the 11th floor of the Church Centre, I attend the girls-only workshop. This workshop was, in a word, absolutely fantastic! The girls at the workshop have drafted an official “Girls’ Statement” to present at the end of the UN session! Each one of us got to put our opinions and inputs into the document. The discussion also stirred up some issues girls are facing today and how we can solve them.

But in between, we got to tour around the Big Apple by foot! Yes, despite the wind, the cold, and the aching feet, we all got to see the amazing landmarks in New York. Madison Avenue, the Rockefeller Building, the Fifth Avenue, MOMA, and so much more! The city is, to sum up, absolutely amazing and I will definitely come back!

And of course, the amazing, fantastic, and absolutely thrilling press interview! So there I was, sitting at the workshop and listening attentive when a cautious Siham crept up to me… and told me that, she found out this twenty minutes earlier, I have an interview with a Mandarin Torontonian newspaper in ten minutes.

Well, THAT was unexpected! Was I nervous? Scared? Shocked? Yes, yes, and absolutely yes! But at the same time, excitement was bursting from my chest! Despite the initial trepidation, I was able to take control of myself and, if I do say so myself, rocked that interview by the end! And so, my first ever press interview! (And hopefully not the last!)

Wow, what a day! But I can’t wait for the next! What will tomorrow bring? I don’t know, but I will welcome it with open arms.

Amy

Stay tuned for more as the girls attend sessions and meet Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon later this week.