We’ve known for a long time that investment in girls and young women can exponentially benefit families, communities and even nations. Plan International USA has been fighting alongside girls and young people since 1937 to unleash their power and show the world what is possible when gender inequality is a thing of the past.
In 2011, Plan International’s advocacy efforts at the U.N. resulted in International Day of the Girl being declared for the first time ever as an annual day of remembrance every Oct. 11.
Since then, Plan has celebrated International Day of the Girl with Takeovers, during which girls assume leadership roles in corporate and government settings across the world. Takeovers provide a forum for girls to exercise their leadership skills and participate in decisions that affect them, gain real-world experience and increase their opportunities to harness their own power.
This year’s celebration featured amazing girl advocates taking over at companies like AstraZeneca, Smartly and Vertex — spending their day with executive teams and other staff and encouraging leaders to support young people, women and entry-level staff.
Here’s an inspiring recap of everything that happened on Oct. 11 — we can’t wait to see what these girls do next!