Skip to main content

Girls Count/Count Girls

It feels sickly ironic to be celebration the United Nations Day of the Girl Child while in the throes of an election season in which the Republican candidate has displayed his total disregard for women. It is beyond comprehension how a major political party could endorse a candidate whose words and actions tell a well-documented tale of misogyny.

We are half the population, yet we count for nothing.

I fear for my daughter and her friends, I fear for the young daughters of my friends. And I fear for their sons--what does this mean for them and who they will become?

Of course the Day of the Girl reaches far beyond my personal circle or even the turmoil of the US election. From the UN Women website:

"There are 1.1 billion girls today, a powerful constituency for shaping a sustainable world that’s better for everyone. They are brimming with talent and creativity. But their dreams and potential are often thwarted by discrimination, violence and lack of equal opportunities. There are glaring gaps in data and knowledge about the specific needs and challenges that girls face.

What gets counted, gets done. The theme for this year’s International Day of the Girl Child, on 11 October, “Girls’ Progress = Goals’ Progress: A Global Girl Data Movement”, is a call for action for increased investment in collecting and analyzing girl-focused, girl-relevant and sex-disaggregated data. One year into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, improving data on girls and addressing the issues that are holding them back is critical for fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals."

Do me a favor. Take an opportunity today to add this goal into your topics of conversation. Share one less thing about the election and share this instead; add to the numbers. Get things done. Shape the conversation by talking about how we can take action to empower girls--in Howard County. In the nation. Around the world.

"We girls hold up this world with a strength that's all our own. We'll see the different ways one day when we are grown. When we show our softer side that doesn't mean we are weak. We're made up of many emotions that make us each unique. Be proud to be a girl- know what it means to you. Be who you want to be- don't doubt the things you do. We know that discipline will turn princess into a queen. Kindness takes hard work- this is a life long lesson. Give from your heart and each day will be a blessing. We are sisters of this earth- members of one powerful tribe. Every color, age, and size, we're united by beauty inside. We're a new generation of girls- we will make this world better. We girls hold up this world standing united...Standing together."

--Jada Pinkett Smith

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else.  Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not  chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...
1 comment
Read more

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...
1 comment
Read more

What Kids Are Thinking

  It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed.  Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings.  And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...
1 comment
Read more