The future girls want is one where they can learn, lead and live without limits. But right now, too many obstacles stand in their way. In our āFuture girls wantā blog series, weāre shining a light on how education is the key to unlocking the future girls want for themselves, and how it impacts every area of their lives ā from health to safety to civic participation.
Girls around the world are calling on leaders ā from classrooms to boardrooms to executive offices ā to pass the megaphone and let them lead the future they want.
At Plan, we know that an educated girl is an empowered girl. Empowered with knowledge and skills that strengthen her critical thinking and self-esteem. Empowered to raise her voice on the challenges holding her back. Empowered to join others in building a world where all girls can thrive.
Read more: Photo story: Focusing on girlsā political participation in Peru
Chu, a teenage girl from Vietnam, is a shining example of this. At 15, Chuās parents arranged her marriage to a boy she had only gone on two dates with.
With dreams of going to college and beginning her career first, Chu pleaded with her father to call the marriage off.
Before Chu found out about her potential marriage, she wrote in her diary, āOne day I will go to college, have a stable job, get married, and fill my life with happiness.” | Vu Quang, Ā© Plan International Vietnam
Then, another shoe dropped. Her boyfriendās parents wanted her to drop out of school. The school dormitory was no place for a wife, they said.
Thatās when Chu reached out to her teachers, who reached out to Plan for help. Multiple visits with the community child protection board finally convinced Chuās father to call off the marriage and let Chu continue her education.
Unfortunately, Chu had missed high school entrance exams and fallen behind on her studies due to the stress of a potential marriage. But with a new door opening, she was not deterred.
āThis time, I will determine my own destiny,” Chu says.
First, she joined a youth economic development club through Plan and took several classes, learning new skills from pig farming to hairdressing. Then, she joined Planās Champions of Change club where she learned life skills, developed new friendships and participated in community activities.
Chu blossomed in the Champions of Change club, grew more confident and took on new opportunities to lead club sessions. Eventually, she was chosen to become a program facilitator.
Chu regularly participates in anti-child marriage initiatives in her community. | Vu Quang, Ā© Plan International Vietnam
Now a skilled leader and dedicated volunteer who is supporting the children in her community, Chu shares her story with other girls to encourage them to shun early marriage and choose their education instead.
Chu’s journey is not just a personal triumph ā itās a testament to the transformative power of education and leadership programs like Champions of Change.
In the program, implemented in over 43 countries so far, adolescent girls and boys challenge harmful gender norms in their communities through the creation of safe spaces and peer-to-peer activities.
Plan also helps connect young people in the program with youth networks and civil society organizations, forming a foundation for grassroots activism and deeply rooted change. For girls like Chu, Champions of Change is crucial for empowering girls with the tools to fight gender inequality and become leaders of the future they want.
Champions of Change clubs help girls build their self-esteem and awareness of their rights while helping boys challenge toxic masculinities so they can become allies to girls. | Vu Quang, Ā© Plan International Vietnam
And we donāt stop at training girls to be leaders. Weāre also helping to directly support their leadership through our Equality Accelerator. This girl-led funding platform connects young activists around the world with resources to implement their initiatives, taking what they learn in projects like Champions of Change to the next level.
[Read more: This young activist is ending child marriage in Guatemala]
Access to education is not just about acquiring knowledge ā it’s about unleashing potential and generating a ripple effect. A girl who stays in school can grow into a woman who leads her community, ensuring that other girls have the same opportunity she did. It’s a virtuous cycle, one that perpetuates progress and breaks down barriers.
