The humanitarian organization CARE is launching "Take the Mic," a global campaign to celebrate International Day of the Girl and elevate girls' voices worldwide.
"We wanted to create stories for people to think more deeply about girls' experiences and how harmful gender norms can impact a young girl's life," said Monica Rowe, Chief Marketing Officer at CARE, an organization dedicated to fighting poverty with a special focus on working alongside women and girls.
The multi-channel campaign was done in partnership with P&G. It features videos from two workshops held in Los Angeles and Rwanda, led by filmmaker and education activist Zuriel Oduwole. The workshops leveraged the power of girls' voices and provided storytelling and filmmaking techniques and training, in addition to confidence-building exercises, to help teenage girls tell their own stories, in their own way, and speak up about issues they care most about. In Los Angeles, CARE partnered with Girls’ Voices Now (part of Women’s Voice Now) and Jack & Jill of America, Inc.
The video for the campaign features a voice-over from award-winning actress Anna Cathcart, known for her roles in films such as Netflix's To All the Boys I've Loved Before and Disney Channel films Descendants 2and 3.
"CARE's approach is not simply to support girls but also to uplift their voices to influence change—for themselves and in their communities. Supporting girls' voices and their leadership worldwide is incredibly important, and the #TakeTheMic campaign positions a new generation of girls to speak up and be heard," said Cathcart.
On social media, CARE enlisted select influencers to "Take the Mic" and share a time when they stood up for themselves. They also created an Instagram and TikTok filter that supporters can use to share personal stories of how they're making the world a better place.
To continue the celebration and raise awareness for this day, on October 11th, almost fifty iconic buildings and landmarks around the world will light up in CARE's campaign colors, orange and pink. Some of the landmarks include One World Trade Center in NYC, Niagara Falls, the CityLink Sound Tube in Melbourne, Australia, and the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH. Others include City Halls, bridges, sports arenas like the Las Vegas Ballpark, and art installations like Orlando, Florida's Take Flight sculpture.
"Spireworks, in collaboration with The Durst Organization, illuminates iconic buildings across the New York City skyline to champion significant and worthy causes," said Mark Domino, Founder at Spireworks. "Together in partnership with CARE, we are highlighting the International Day of the Girl so that the illuminations at One World Trade Center, One Bryant Park, 151 West 42nd Street, and Sven can serve as beacons of hope, curiosity, and empowerment for all."
International Day of the Girl highlights the essential role of girls in building a more equitable and prosperous world. Girls embody strength, resilience, and hope. Yet, they face many challenges when making life choices due to social norms that restrict their rights. According to the United Nations, approximately one in five girls is married in childhood. And despite recent progress, nearly 130 million girls around the world are still excluded from the classroom. Worldwide, nearly one in four girls aged 15-19 years is neither employed nor in education or training, compared to 1 in 10 boys of the same age. This education gap affects girls for the rest of their lives. This isn't just a social issue; it's also economic. The World Bank estimates that workplace gender inequality could cost $160 trillion, twice the value of the global economy. These stark figures underscore the need for systemic change and the importance of girls being able to have their voices heard.
P&G is a proud presenting partner for CARE's International Day of the Girl campaign. Together, CARE and P&G work towards creating a more gender-equal world, fostering educational and economic opportunities for women and girls, and improving access to clean drinking water and proper hygiene.
By recognizing the rights of girls around the world, promoting education, and fostering empowerment, we move one step closer to achieving gender equality and a brighter future for all.
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