Every child has the potential to achieve astounding things. But for girls everywhere, that potential is cut short by discrimination and inequality.
This International Day of the Girl, we’re looking to activists who have faced these hurdles and overcome them. We asked gender equality activists what they would say to their younger selves. Their words of advice and encouragement are sure to empower anyone in the fight for equality.
Here are six powerful quotes to inspire the next generation of activists:
“Find...
Girls and Women
If you were to look back on your childhood, you might remember going to school, exploring the world around, and discovering the things that have inspired you throughout life. But what might your life look like if you didn’t have those experiences?
Around the world, girls continue to face discrimination and limited opportunity simply because they are girls. Childhood is the foundation of adulthood, and the inequality that girls face have massive effects on the rest of their lives.
We must...
If you could say anything to yourself as a kid, what would you say?
That’s the question behind ONE’s new documentary series, Yours in Power. Three activists working to create gender equality have written to themselves as young girls, offering advice and insights for the road ahead. Their inspiring words prove the power of a strong voice and an unwavering determination to create an equal world.
Any activist knows that changing the world can involve a lot of letters. Whether it...
Before she was diagnosed with HIV, Morolake Odetoyinbo, or Rolake, was living the life she’d always dreamed of. She had graduated from performing arts school, gotten married, and was running her own small bakery in northern Nigeria, where she lived with her husband on a military base. Then her husband tested positive for HIV, and five months later Rolake, 28, received the same diagnosis. Her doctor gave her between 5-12 years to live.
“At the time I was just a...
Content warning: This article contains mentions of sexual violence.
UPDATE: A new law criminalising rape and recognising it as a serious crime came into effect in January 2020, read more about how this was achieved here.
Millions of women around the world experience violence simply because of their gender. The UN estimates that one in three women will experience physical or sexual abuse at some point in their lives.
An incident of gender-based violence led Adjaratou Khady Ndiaye, a 21-year old Senegalese...
A young spice farmer in Zanzibar is on a mission to grow her business and improve her future, one plant at a time.
Wearing a pink headscarf and a grey abaya, 24-year-old Khairat Suleiman Ame doesn’t look like your typical Zanzibari farmer. Don’t let looks fool you; she’s ready to get her hands dirty tending to her ginger, turmeric and hibiscus plants.
Although many Zanzibari women rely on their husbands for economic support, Khairat has other ideas.
“Most of my friends are...
HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria don’t just cause illness and deaths around the world, they decrease productivity and increase the risk of poverty in the communities and countries affected. Loss of income and the cost of healthcare have dramatic effects on the individual, as well as their family and community.
Here’s what you need to know about these three diseases:
HIV/AIDS
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) attacks and destroys the body’s immune cells making it difficult for the body to fight off...
The fight to end extreme poverty cannot be won without education. When people have access to a quality education, they’re more likely to live healthy, poverty-free lives. In fact, a quality education for all would be the most effective tool against poverty and instability worldwide.
People who are denied equal access to a quality education do not have a fair chance at escaping poverty. This reality continues to affect the world’s girls. Although more girls are now attending primary school,...
Part Two of a two-part series on looking at gender equality before this year’s G7 summit. Part One looks at the sexist laws that have no place in the world.
There’s still plenty of shocking, sexist, and discriminatory laws around the world. These laws restrict women’s rights to work, live, and be safe. From legalised rape to domestic violence, child marriage to child labour, discriminatory laws punish millions of women and girls worldwide, every day.
While it’s important to highlight the...
Written by Zori, ONE Youth Ambassador, Belgium
Being a Youth Ambassador (YA) has really put things into perspective for me. In June, I was able to attend the European Development Days (EDDs), one of Europe’s largest development summits organised by the European Commission, in Brussels.
ONE Youth Ambassadors at the 2019 EDDs.
The European Development Days
At the EDDs, ONE had an interactive stand staffed with enthusiastic Youth Ambassadors and activities like virtual reality glasses, a photo booth, quizzes and educational games. The...