#GirlsCount Campaign Raises Awareness

By Lauren Blake ’20

The non-profit organization ONE is currently organizing a campaign called #GirlsCount to promote awareness of extreme poverty globally as well as how the lack of education, especially among girls, contributes to that epidemic. It is estimated that 130 million girls worldwide do not have the opportunity to attend school because they either lack resources or their governments oppose their education.

To join the campaign and advocate for girls’ education, participants simply claim a number online using the #GirlsCount website link below and then either say this number in a short video or take a picture holding the number. The organization then will gather these videos and photos to make one long movie to send to global leaders in February 2018. This time period is when these leaders will discuss setting up a large scale education program for the world’s poorest countries.

As students at an all-girls high school like Immaculate Heart, we are empowered to pursue subjects we are interested in. Going to an all-girls schools helps to boost our confidence not only in our academic abilities, but also in our personal life. We are also told to pursue Catholic social justice, which means being aware of issues that affect other women and girls, especially students. I believe that as women of great heart and right conscience, we must continue to advocate girls’ education and to set an example of how girls are capable of doing anything.

For more information, visit the ONE Organization Website at https://www.one.org/us/ along with related sites:

#GirlsCount Promo Video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj_47tRakRE

#GirlsCount Website-https://girlscount.one.org/?source=homepage