When a massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck the Caribbean nation of Haiti in January 2010, the lives of many of Haiti’s women and girls changed almost overnight. Hospitals, schools, and other public buildings were leveled, and social services were almost instantly disrupted.

It’s not every day that you get the opportunity to sit down with someone who truly inspires you, but for me, last week I had one of those days. Rosie Schaack, head of THINK Women’s Empowerment Center (Touching Humanity In Need of Kindness) in Liberia, and a partner of the United Nations Foundation, came to our  office in Washington, DC to chat with us about her work with teen girls who were victims of war.

Graduation is just around the corner, and young women all over the country are reaching a significant educational milestone in their lives. Having been able to go to school and create opportunities for themselves, they are celebrating a truly exciting accomplishment. Sadly, girls in developing countries aren’t so lucky.

Thousands of people are uniting each day for girls through Girl Up. We’re excited to welcome another partner to our team whose mission is to empower girls, and has a similar name: GirlsUp.

This past Saturday night, my friend and I were given the opportunity to go to TV producer, Kayce Jennings' house in New York City. I was immediately intrigued by the film we watched there that three amazing girls from Cambodia were a part of, including one whose name was Sokha Chen. Sokha, who I was able to meet on International Women’s Day at a visit to the White House, was a very interesting 16- year-old girl. She represented the success and impact Girl Up could have in girls lives in countries like Malawi, Liberia, Guatemala, and Ethiopia.

I had a wonderful experience at the Power of One event hosted at the Intrepid Museum in New York City on March 10. It was amazing! Hearing the panel of successful women that have found ways to make their voices heard made it clear to my peers and I that anything is possible.

Are you on a GirlRaiser Team? Have you hosted a Girl Up event or are you planning one? Do you just want to tell the world why giving girls in developing countries a “High Five” is important to you?

Girl Up has been out in Los Angeles this weekend with our founding partner the WNBA for the NBA All-Star Jam Session! The city is alive with basketball fever, and we are spreading the message to fans everywhere that adolescent girls are our next generation of leaders.

We’re making an exception to High Five Fridays and giving out a High Five Monday, to our newest Teen Advisor, Angelica Partida! Angelica, or Angie, joined the team last week. All the Teen Advisors are looking forward to meeting each other this weekend at our first Teen Advisor Meeting in Washington, DC!

Girls, I just went to the coolest Conference called TedWomen. There were amazing women attending who cared about all of the same issues you do. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was there.

Since the UN Foundation launched Girl Up earlier this year, we’ve been amazed at the support you’ve shown for girls around the world like you.  You have really made this a “for girls, by girls” movement.

Last night I had the pleasure of co-hosting a Girl Up reception at Trump SoHo with a group of inspiring women. With the help of one of my Fine Jewelry partners, London Jewelers, the reception brought together the jewelry world for an important cause — the world’s at-risk girls.

Girl Up has come to Seattle! Tonight we hosted a reception at the WNBA Seattle Storm office. When guests arrived, they got their picture taken on the pink carpet with a Girl Up background and the Storm’s championship basketball trophies...

As a teen in the U.S., you are more socially connected today than ever before.  A study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that 75% of 12-17 year-olds now own cell phones, up from 45% in 2004, and one in three teens sends more than 100 text messages a day – or 3,000 texts a month!  Teens instant message and connect on social networking sites with friends almost as much as they connect in person. 

Girls and boys from all over LA joined us at the Unite for Girls Pep Rally in Los Angeles to learn about the lives of girls in Malawi, Liberia, Guatemala, and Ethiopia, and to start to take action by getting involved in Girl Up.

The Unite for Girls tour is in Los Angeles this week, and we got off to a great start with a high-energy event at Variety last night. Over 200 people came together to celebrate Girl Up and give a High Five for girls around the world.

When I tell people that I work for the United Nations (UN) Foundation, one of the most common questions I get is, “Do you work in the UN building?” I don’t. And in fact, many people who work for the UN work in office buildings other than the UN headquarters building located on the East River in New York City.

When I was little, my sister and I would sit down after trick or treating and would spread our candy all over the living room floor so that we could count and sort it.

Victoria Justice - teen actress, singer and Girl Up champion - was honored on Sunday, October 24, at Variety magazine’s annual Power of Youth event for her work with Girl Up.

We are so excited here at Girl Up that the 65th United Nations Day is this Sunday, October 24, so for this High Five Friday, we want to High Five the United Nations!

I’ve spent more time away from home than at home lately, but I’m so fortunate to have the chance to meet some incredible people on my trips to Africa to meet with our UN, government, and NGO partners. 

Girl Up visited the Girls Athletic Leadership School (GALS) in Denver yesterday to kick off our partnership with the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools!

Today is “High Five Friday” at Girl Up so we began the morning by posing the question, “Who are five people in your life that deserve a High Five?”...

In the United States, most 12-year-old girls are studying for a math test, shopping at the mall with the best friends, playing sports, and talking about boys (or girls!). But in many countries around the world, 12-year-old girls are already viewed as women – they are getting married, having children, and doing hard labor to feed their families.

Are you looking for a unique way to help some of the world’s hardest-to-reach adolescent girls? Well, look no further! The signature Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry Girl Up bracelet is now available for Girl Up supporters!

On September 10, the Girl Up team was invited to the Ivanka Trump Boutique in New York City for Fashion's Night Out to celebrate the launch of Ivanka's new Girl Up bracelet.