Because I am a Girl

Because I am a Girl was a global movement that supported over 4 million girls to learn, lead, decide and thrive. While it officially ended in 2018, the campaign continues to live on in the hearts and minds of those who participated and supported the campaign. Part of it’s lasting impact was through the changing of laws and policies impacting girls in 17 countries.

Key milestones

1997

The campaign gets its name

In 1997, a Plan leader from Germany visited a rural community in Nepal. She saw a girl named Sharmila who didn’t have enough clothes to keep her warm on a cold day and was not in school.

When asked why, Sharmila’s mother replied, “because she is a girl.” This led to the idea for a campaign focused on girls. In 2003, the Germany office was the first to launch Because I am a Girl.

2007

Tracking progress for girls

In 2007, Plan International began to release a series of annual reports focused on girls and young women. The State of the World’s Girls reports brought together data that identified the barriers girls face for being young and female.

The State of the World Girls reports are still released each year in the fall.

2011

Creating International Day of the Girl

Plan, alongside girls, campaigned to have a day that recognizes the unique position of girls — celebrating their power and highlighting the injustices they face.

With support from the Canadian government, we took our call to the United Nations, which adopted October 11 as International Day of the Girl.

The day is now celebrated globally with girls, their allies, governments, charities, corporations and the media.

2012

Tracking progress for girls

The campaign launches on the first official International Day of the Girl in 2012.

It aimed to:

Directly impact 4 million girls through programs.
Positively affect the lives of 400 million children through policy changes.
Raise $550 million for girls and children.

In 2012, Plan released an award-winning stop motion video that explained the importance of education.

2013

U.N. takeover and Girl Rising

In July of 2013, Plan supported youth activists to join the first-ever youth takeover of the U.N. The takeover was led by Malala Yousafzai.

At the event, Malala made her famous speech calling for the urgent prioritization of education around the world. “One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world. Education is the only solution,” she said.

The same year, Girl Rising held its world premiere and was previewed at the Sundance Festival. The movie spotlights the stories of nine girls born into unforgiving circumstances. A portion of tickets sales supported the Because I am a Girl campaign.

Directed by Richard E. Robbins, the film is narrated by Cate Blanchett, Priyanka Chopra, Selena Gomez, Anne Hathaway, Salma Hayek, Alicia Keys, Chloë Grace Moretz, Liam Neeson, Freida Pinto, Meryl Streep and Kerry Washington.

2015

Smashing goals

As Because I am a Girl turned into a powerful call for change, it quickly made an impact.

Directly impacted the lives of 3 million girls.
Raised over $480 million.
Contributed to changing laws and policies affecting girls and young women in 17 countries.

2017

Influencing laws and turning the world pink

A key part of the Because I am a Girl campaign was working to end child marriage. When a girl becomes a child bride, her future potential typically ends and she is forced to drop out of school.

Through advocacy efforts, the first ever resolutions on child marriage were adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council and the General Assembly. Our work helped to raise the legal age for marriage for girls to 18 in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

To raise awareness about the importance of girls’ education, landmarks around the world turned pink. This included the Empire State Building, the London Eye, Niagara Falls, Giza pyramids in Egypt and Real Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium.

2018 and beyond

While the campaign officially ended in 2018, girls had moved to the center of Plan International’s work. And they remain there today!

Gender equality benefits all of us and it is a fight we must take on together. Join us.