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Girl Effect

Megan MacDonald | Friday 24th July 2009

This video came out last year, and you may have already seen it (I've been living under a rock in Kenya, so I just saw it for the first time today). It shows how powerful words, and some well-timed music, can be. I find it's a fantastic example of innovation in the CSR arena. Funded primarly by the Nike Foundation and the NoVo Foundation, the video introduces the Girl Effect - a collaborative effort to publicize the importance of educating girls around the world and the chain reaction such action would cause in terms of improving communities and growing economies. The effort draws on development and policy experts, economists, private citizens and larger community efforts and NGOs to think critically about the role each of us can play in helping girls to reach their potential. I love the pdf download available on the site (www.girleffect.org) which provides facts about girls throughout the world, explains the financials behind the approach and gives targeted ideas for involvement. That's one of my favorite parts - there are checklists and questions to be used in evaluating how you can address the issue - whether "you" are a government or international organization, a private donor, an NGO or a private employer. See page 19 in the doc (I can't figure out how to link to it) for evaluation tools and ideas.

One thing I'll say is that as right-on as this is with all the energy, collaboration, facts and figures - I found something missing based on my time in Kenya and local efforts to keep girls in school. I was surprised to see that in 50+ pages of discussion about educating girls and the reasons they're pulled out of school so early (if they go at all) there was not one mention of access to sanitary towels playing a part. According to ZanaA, an organization started in Kenya that mirrors many of the goals of Girl Effect, this is the premier reason why girls aren't staying in school as long as they could - they're simply missing too many days because they don't have the materials they need to be out and about while dealing with their menstrual cycle.

It's a well-known problem in many Sub Saharan African countries (and beyond), so I was surprised not to see a mention in the Girl Effect literature. I do see lots of invitations for feedback and partnership - so I hope this is something that can be added to the great framework they've set out.

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Megan MacDonald 24 August 2009

Christopher - I agree! I worked on a project in South Africa that was actually trying to address your last point by training men on the importance of HIV prevention and the steps they can take. It was designed to take on cultural issues that were preventing people from using condoms etc. because there were some programs to work with women but when it came down to it, they didn't have enough power in their culture to insist upon using protection. It's critical that when we look at solutions we address the various gender issues and roles and where they intersect. Thanks for your thoughts.

Christopher Cairns 23 August 2009

You bring up a good point, though it's not something a lot of people (I would imagine, particularly men) like to discuss concerning why girls miss days of school. Still, all of us, women and men alike need to dig into these kinds of practical realities and raise them to the level of serious discussion. The issue of high maternal mortality in much of the developing world used to also be in this "taboo" category but thanks to campaigning by organizations such as UNICEF, I think it's fair to say it's a permanent part of development discussions.

It's interesting, I saw a piece the other day in the NY times saying how the empowerment of girls and women must be the struggle of the 21st Century. I think this is correct: a whole body of research exists to suggest that women spend increased income differently than men do. But it is very, very important that the focus on empowering women not turn into neglecting men's issues or blaming men for not upholding fatherly duties, we need them to.