Brief summary of presentation of information made

There were six girl speakers from across the world- they each gave their stories and opinions.

There were two girl moderators: Gabriela Perez (USA) and Londeka Dhlamin (South Africa)

Speaker: Kimy (Mozambique- 16 years old)

• Shared her experience of being in class one day and offered to give the answer to a chemistry problem, but her teacher ignored her. She felt discriminated against because she was a girl.
• When she joined an event hosted by The Grail, she felt empowered and wanted to continue to join on issues regarding girls and felt a part of it.
• She created a safe space with her friends, other girls, to share about issues that concern them/are on their minds.
• Advocating for the elimination of violence against girls is not easy but is needed- adults will still questions girls, ‘why do you do that?’- and therefore only receive support from female teachers who help other girls join in the workforce.
• The pandemic has created a divide in digital kills between girls and boys- girls were not getting the skills needed especially during the pandemic.
• Communities should support girls in any space and help them feel included in society. Girls’ voices should be heard, create a safe space to speak out and have a seat at the table.
• Legislators should have engagement with girls and girls’ voices should be considered before decisions are made- girl participation matters.
• Girls are inspired leaders- girls are change makers

Speaker: Loes (Canada- 17 years old)

• A woman/girl is a human created in the image of God.
• GBV is a violation of human rights and there are various types of violence against girls: child marriage, female genital mutilation, human trafficking, etc.
• Ways that the community can stop violence against girls: support girls, promote girls’ rights, create opportunities for girls, listen to girls’ concerns, be in solidarity with girls’ actions.
• Ways that an individual can stop violence against girls: spreading awareness through social media pages, establish a club with a group of girls, support girls in your area in different areas, speak up for our sisters, teach children to respect girls, be the positive change you want to see in the world, educate yourself on the issues that concern girls, and join a community group that works for equality.
• Loes’ dream world: my dream world for girls is a world that is filled with human dignity whether the person is a girl or a boy, we are all human beings. A world that is respectful, loving and caring towards one another. A world of peace will be established so ono one suffers.

Speaker: Stacy (Mozambique- 17 years old)

• Girls face psychological, physical and emotional violence.
• Create a safe space for girls to share their stories and concerns and support their economic development.
• Guarantee to health services and quality of education.
• We girls can be the voice of the world without giving up our dreams. We are abandoning shame and prejudice that guided our lives and decisions.
• Stacy’s world: the ideal world for me and other girls is where we are treated equally, and girls would not be afraid to express themselves and where girls would support one another.

Speaker: Beatriz (Portugal- 10 years old)

• Every girl has already suffered violence in their life- discriminated against whether it be at home, school, sports or work.

Speaker: Ashlei (USA- 15 years old)

• Girls always find a risk, wherever we go, against ourselves. Sometimes we feel unsafe at schools. We are at risk just for being a girl.
• There are girls who express themselves through clothing but are limited by that. This includes social media where girls must be careful of what they post: strangers and cyber bullying.
• Girls and women are expected to live up to certain standards such as being a wife and taking care of kids and being assigned gender roles.
• This starts in the home- when parents are educated then they can support their children and instill good morals and faith.
• Need to find an end to this attack on women, start the conversation and be heard, educate men and boys and teach them that we are more than objectives and property. We have worth and we should never feel vulnerable or be attacked. 

What was of particular significance to share with The Salvation Army globally?

The Salvation Army has the opportunity to provide safe spaces for girls. It is understandable that it may be difficult to have these spaces and/or conversations because of the pandemic, but there should be other ways to hold these spaces- through zoom, a big room at the corps, at a park, etc. Due to the pandemic, everyone has been inside their homes, mostly inactive- therefore opportunities for girls and women to connect are vital.

 

Tags: SDG5: Gender Equality