Because I Am a Girl

The global campaign to transform girls’ lives through education, Because I am a Girl, ran from 2012 to 2018. Together with girls and our supporters we were able to raise hundreds of millions of euros, change laws in numerous countries and, most importantly, support millions of girls to get an education. Between 2007 and 2015, we released a series of annual reports focusing on girls and young women in the world. The State of the World’s Girls reports brought together leading thinkers, activists and policy makers to provide a wealth of data and the experiences of marginalised girls from around the world on the major issues facings them. The reports highlighted the double jeopardy girls face for being young and female and the concerted effort needed for real progress. In February 2018, $2.3 billion was pledged by donor governments to fund education in low-income countries between 2018 and 2020. This was an increase on the $1.3 billion pledged for the previous 3 years. In addition, developing countries increased their collective budget for education from $80 billion to $110 billion. This pledge took place following our #WeAreTheNext campaign in which girls called on their governments to increase education funding. The increased funding will support millions of girls to go to school and transform their futures. Plan International’s new global campaign is Girls Get Equal. This youth-led social change campaign is about ensuring every girl and young woman has power over her life and the world around her. Instead of focussing on a single issue, such as girls’ education, we are aiming to change the way girls are valued in society so they no longer have to face injustice and oppression. Girls Get Equal is about girls not holding back and conforming to what stereotypes dictate. It’s about power, leadership and youth-led action to advance girls’ rights and gender equality. And we’re raising our voices to amplify theirs.