Why girls?
Did you know?
- 70% of the one billion people living in extreme poverty are women and girls.
- Girls are 3x more likely to be malnourished than boys.
- Globally, 66 million girls do not attend primary or secondary school.
There is an urgent need to stand up for the rights of millions of girls. In the poorest regions of the world, girls face double discrimination and unique barriers to survival and development, simply because they are young and female.
But when girls attain their basic human rights, they will:
- Be 6x less likely to be married as children
- Have 2.2 fewer yet healthier children
- Increase their contributions to household income by 18%
The power of girls
Investing in girls is key to eliminating poverty and creating a brighter, safer future for everyone. When girls are educated, healthy and informed, they pull themselves, their children and their communities out of poverty. For every extra year a girl stays in school, her income can increase by 15 to 25%.
If 10% more girls attend school, a country’s GDP increases by an average of 3%.
Empower a girl and she’ll change the world for everyone around her.
The Plan to change the world
We want to engage one million Canadian girls and women – and everyone who matters to them – to raise money for projects that support the development of girls, like:
- Education and healthcare
- Clean water and food security
- Livelihood initiatives to support their future
How you can help
Be part of the movement to make a real difference in the lives of women and girls around the world.
- Explore girl issues both around the world and here, in our own backyard. Read stories about individual girls and women.
- Find out the ways you can Get Involved
- Read about the State of the World's Girls – Plan's annual Girl Reports.
- Donate to projects that benefit girls