When I was in primary school, I complained about my life quite a bit. In hindsight of course, my biggest problems centered around which cartoon I wanted to watch next or the sleepover I desperately wanted to be invited to. And even though I didn’t grow up particularly privileged or “rich” I did grow up with a roof over my head, a belly full of food and access to good education.
Which is a whole lot more than girls in under-developed countries are still being denied.
Like my mother before me, I remind my daughter of this each and every time she laments being denied something material. I’ve even heard myself trot out the ‘back in my day’ – and in return, received a heavy eye-roll.
So I thought perhaps if I told her about some of the differences in her life, compared to say, girls in rural Nepal, she might just understand that life isn’t about what we have, but what we can give.
With a donation, we can help these girls facilitate a safe and healthy childhood with equal access to education. Which should be every girl’s right, but for millions it’s simply not the reality.
But tell a girl of primary school age in Australia that she’s “lucky” to have all she has and you’ll get a shrug of the shoulders because, in their defence, their ‘normal’ is sometimes the only thing they can identify with.
So it’s time for us to acknowledge the differences in our upbringing and those of these underprivileged girls. It’s time to talk about the physical, sexual or psychological violence that are very real threats to girls in developing countries.
Even in school, girls can face harassment, rape and discrimination from teachers and peers, thereby reducing their chances to succeed. And how frightening is this for a statistic: one in every four girls are sexually abused by the age of 18 (it's called ‘gender based violence’). Yes, you read that right - a quarter of all girls.
While our kids complain about having to do our times tables in year 5, girls in developing nations are often prevented from going to school as they are expected to help with domestic work and caring for younger children. In fact, girls spend between 33 to 85% more time on unpaid care work than boys.
Around 90% of child workers are girls aged 12?17.
Then there is the frightening statistic that shows that child marriage is one of the main reasons why 65 million girls around the world are currently missing out on school. Yes, you read that right – CHILD marriage.
It robs girls of their childhood, their health, their hopes and dreams, and their education – right at a time when it matters most. When a girl is married young she is more likely to experience violence, physical and sexual abuse, and poor sexual and reproductive health.
I could go on (and on) about how girls, and yes, particularly girls are at such a disadvantage in developing nations.
And this is why Plan International started the ‘Because I am a girl’ campaign. To draw attention to this gender disparity. It all started when, on a cold day in 2004, in a small village of rural Nepal, Plan’s Germany Director Marianne Raven was sitting under a tree discussing the community’s challenges with its inhabitants.
As the huddled group made requests for more blankets to cover themselves from the cold, Marianne saw a small girl ambling past, with barely enough clothes to keep her warm. The girl's mother was asked, “Why doesn’t this girl have adequate clothing against the cold?” The mother’s answer would have a profound impact on Marianne, and all of Plan. She replied, “Because she is a girl.”
My own daughter wants the latest makeup and jewellery to make her happy. Sure, these aren’t particularly unreasonable requests but they are, and I am becoming increasingly aware of this, first world wants. Will she starve if she doesn’t get the latest lipstick?
Nope. Will she still be able to achieve her career aspirations and attend school if she’s not wearing the latest shoes? Yes, yes she will. Do I deny her this to prove a point? No, I won’t.
But I will start to do something that my parents never did with me. I will make her aware of how lucky she is. I want her to know that many girls her age not yearning for that cute top or pretty lip gloss, they are focused on food, warmth, shelter and safety.
These same girls wouldn’t just appreciate an education, they’d die for one. So my daughter and I, together, are going to support the ‘Because I am a girl’ campaign. It is a small gesture in the face of immense poverty and hardship, but it is a start.
This campaign is dedicated to Sharmila. With your support, Plan International’s ‘Because I am a Girl’ campaign aims to unleash the incredible potential of girls to create a better world. The benefits are not just for them, but for everyone.
Have you heard of the ‘Because I am a Girl’ campaign?