In 2020, the 36 young women of the 2020 Girl Up Regional Leader Class supported the organizing and fundraising efforts of Girl Up’s Club and Campus chapters in a number of ways. They hosted interactive trainings, workshops, and events to benefit their communities, created informative social media content and toolkits for their membership, and recruited peers and partners to Girl Up’s network.
Regional Leaders from Australia, India, Canada, England, and Lebanon reflect on their proudest accomplishments in 2020, and the important lessons they hope to take into 2021.
Ashleigh De Silva, Team Regional Leader, Australia:
“With the COVID-19 pandemic necessitating virtual interaction, I helped create an online events toolkit for Girl Up’s Clubs in Australia — offering them guidance on interacting and organizing in a virtual setting. I also hosted multiple workshops for secondary schools in South Australia, with the intention to help students establish a Girl Up Club in their school and guide them on how to take on a leadership role in their communities.
The most important thing I have learned as a Regional Leader is to communicate clearly and consistently. In 2021, I hope to continue to support the success of the Girl Up Club and Campus chapters in my region by proactively listening to and learning from member’s ideas and opinions.”
Keep up with Girl Up Oceania on Instagram.
Harsheen Vohra, Social Media Regional Leader, India:
“As a graphic designer, my role as Girl Up India’s Social Media Regional Leader allowed me to learn more about social media strategy and management, and also gave me the chance to apply my professional skills to creating content for issues that I genuinely care about — gender equality and female empowerment.
In 2020, I was able to contribute to the planning, execution, and marketing of more than 20 events for the Girl Up India community. This position has taught me many things, the foremost being how to work positively and professionally within a team. I hope to apply this lesson in my new role as the Team Regional Leader for Girl Up India in 2021, building a solid team of young leaders that can work together to spread Girl Up’s mission in the region.”
Keep up with Girl Up India on Instagram.
Maryam and Nivaal Rehman, Co-Campus Regional Leaders, Canada:
“This past year, we helped plan and host Girl Up Canada’s Ms. Conceptions program, a series of informative and meaningful conversations on the migration crisis, gender-based violence, and digital activism. We also organized a workshop on Storytelling for Social Good, based on our experiences as filmmakers and participants in Disney’s and Girl Up’s “Dream Big, Princess” project.
Overall, our experience as Co-Campus Regional Leaders has been collaborative, insightful and exciting. We have learned from our other team members how to improve our understanding of global gender equality issues, and strengthen our advocacy for the world’s hardest-to-reach girls. In 2021, we are excited to continue learning and organizing in our new role as Co-Team Regional Leaders for Girl Up Canada.”
Keep up with Girl Up Canada on Instagram.
Phoebe Sennett, Team Regional Leader, Europe:
“In 2020, the Europe Regional Leader team expanded from two members to six. This allowed us to better support our steadily growing community of Club and Campus chapters, and maintain a dedicated social media presence. We also helped recruit three new European Coalition Leaders, and are excited to work closely with them to strengthen the Girl Up network in London, Scotland, and the Balkans.
As we move into 2021, we continue to work on becoming the go-to platform for Girl Up Europe members by organizing 1:1 video conferences with Club leaders; hosting virtual events that connect our leaders to experts in business and leadership, women’s health and wellness, mental health, and education; and offering dedicated grants to our European Clubs.”
Keep up with Girl Up Europe on Instagram.
Rym Badran, Team Regional Leader, Lebanon:
“The best part of serving as a Regional Leader has been getting to share my passion for gender equality with my peers in the Arab World, and contribute to the growth of feminism in the region. In 2020, our team was able to recruit five new Girl Up Clubs this year, and continue to champion the creation of many more in 2021.
Being a Regional Leader has been both empowering and challenging. However, this role (and Girl Up) has helped me to find the inspiration, motivation, and support I need to continue to champion representation and diversity in the Arab World. I am beyond grateful for this program, and look forward to continuing in my role as Team Regional Leader for Lebanon and the Arab World in 2021.”
Keep up with Girl Up Arab World on Instagram.
