The essence of our work at Global Girl Project is to mobilise the most marginalised girls in our world to find and use their voice for social change. We start from a place of knowing that each of us has a right to be asked what we think, and for our answer to have equal weight to the thoughts of those around us. We also know that in our world the voices of girls and women are still being silenced, in various ways. Our girls tell us repeatedly that one of the most powerful things they gain from being a Global Girl is learning that they have a voice, learning how that voice sounds, what that voice wants to say, and how to say it in a way that leads, can be heard, and teaches others.
At Global Girl Project we feel that our voice is our most powerful tool for change.
What occurred on 24th June 2022 in the United States, with the Supreme Court overturning the federally protected right to abortion, was in effect, the silencing of 166.2 million voices. As a feminist organisation we work to mobilise the woman-identifying voice, and so we are deeply angered by the silencing of voices in all parts of the world.
As our work is focused on elevating and mobilising voices that are often silenced, we are also deeply aware of the impact of the words that are used when we speak. We always work with our girls, as they grow on their journey to being leaders, to teach them about the power of their words, to use their words carefully, and to understand the impact of their voice.
So we also want to be clear that with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, what is on the table here is not about being pro-life. What we are talking about is supporting Forced Pregnancy. In 2013, the ‘UN Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment’ found that denying access to abortion when desired was a form of torture.
We stand in solidarity with our sisters in the United States, and all those people who can get pregnant who are being denied reproductive healthcare, reproductive rights, and autonomy over their own bodies. Having women’s voices being raised and heard has never been more urgent.