About us

Because I am a Girl is a global initiative to end gender inequality, promote girls’ rights and lift millions of girls – and everyone around them – out of poverty.

Girls in the poorest regions of the world are among the most disadvantaged people on the planet. They are more likely to live in poverty, more likely to be denied access to education, more likely to be denied medical care, and more likely to be malnourished, simply because they’re girls. And yet, studies show that if you give a girl enough to eat, an education and a safe environment, she’ll work to raise the standard of living for herself, her family and her community.

The Because I am a Girl initiative was founded by Plan International, one of the oldest and largest international charities in the world. Founded in 1937, Plan has supported boys and girls in the developing world for over 75 years through collaboration with children, their families, and their communities.

Plan knows that by investing in girls and young women we can literally transform lives and lift entire nations out of poverty:

We operate a wide range of programs worldwide to improve the status of girls and give them equal access to health care, education, protection, independence, and an opportunity to participate in society.
Our State of the Worlds Girls report series is an ongoing investigation to shine the light on specific barriers to young girls’ development and their access to basic human rights.

Here in Canada, the Because I am a Girl movement is all about harnessing the incredible power that girls and women have here at home, to change the future. Plan seeks to enlist one million Canadians to join the movement and support gender equality around the world.

By investing in girls, we can support a generation of empowered women, mothers, workers and leaders who will improve the lives of everyone around them.

We invite you to: