One! International Information

One of One! International's Youngest Supporters.

Anjali Katta is 17 years old and the founder of GirlsCo and Bombay pads— organizations that seek to better the lives of girls in both India and Canada. She's volunteered in the slums of Mumbai since she was 12 years old [for One! International] and ever since then she's wanted to do something MI help the girls who live there. GirlsCo hosts workshops and summits on gender equality for high school and elementary students while simultaneously raising money for school-going girls in slums. She has also recently spoken at the UN in New York for International Day of the Girl. 

 These are some of the 
girls Anjali is working hard to help. 

Anjali Katta with Hannah Godefa were the youngest national speakers [17yrs]  among the invited speakers [in New York].

What it means to be a girl by Anjali Katta

                           

                    Posted on October 13, 2014 by unavancouver |                                 

                                       

One of the great pleasures of being a part of the UNAC-Vancouver team is having the chance to discover our talented Lower Mainland youth and the difference they are making in the world.  The following is a submission by 17 year old Anjali Katta, a student at York House School, on “What it means to be a girl”.  Anjali delivered her message directly to the United Nations in New York this past weekend.   

People tell me that girls are brought up to believe that they are less than. People also tell me to speak the truth. So that is what I will do.

I believe that girls are born believing they are equal but every single thing around them tells them they are less than. Don’t get your dress dirty! You can’t do that you’re a girl. If you’re a girl please jump off the smaller ski hill. You can’t debate, you’re a girl and girls get too emotional. These are all phrases that I’ve heard in my life and I can’t imagine what girls hear all across the globe. Heck, I was gifted bangles while my brother was gifted land—he was basically told to build, to leave his mark in the world and I was told to decorate myself.

And even though there is so much against a girl, she will persevere. Because a girl is just as capable and just as strong in ways that you can understand and in ways far beyond your myopic abilities of perception. A girl is, in essence, equal. Every girl is beautiful and smart and kind and clever and strong and unique and has an equal right to happiness, safety, and freedom. If we give a girl a chance, give her the tools to believe in herself and that she truly is just as capable, imagine how different the world would be. How many mothers would be able to teach their children to value an education. How many girls would be able to stand up in class and not care about the way she looks. How many girls won’t have to have their beauty equated to their intelligence.

Gender should not define opportunity and we owe it to the daughters of tomorrow to take a step back and look at each and every flaw in the system, be it major or infinitesimal, and do whatever we can to take down this inequality that is so fundamental in all systems across the globe. So the next time you see a girl, don’t tell her how pretty she is—tell her how smart, kind, clever, interesting, or the millions of other adjectives out there she is.

Happy International Day of the Girl!

Anjali Katta Posted on October 13, 2014

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Anjali also spoke for “I LEAD CHANGE” Group with Hayley Wickenheiser, Marcia Ien, Saman Ahsan and Rosemary McCarney

Strong Girls, Strong World

"Recognizing the enormous potential and achievements of strong girls

On October 22, 2014, "Strong Girls, Strong World" brought together adolescent girls and influential Canadians to explore important issues girls face in Canada and abroad.

The day kicked off starting at 9:15 a.m. with a keynote speech by Hannah Godefa, UNICEF National Ambassador to Ethiopia.

During the day, high-school age girls met with a number of well-known public figures including:

• Olympic gold medalists Hayley Wickenheiser and Jenn Heil
• Social innovation expert Tatiana Fraser
• The CEO of Diesel Canada, Joey Adler
• The President and CEO of Plan International Canada Inc., Rosemary McCarney, and many others.

Together, they explored  five key themes that are important to girls and young women in Canada and abroad:

1. I stand up against violence speaks to the fact that girls around the world are at risk for violent abuse, including harmful cultural practices, human trafficking, and dating and family violence.
2. I lead change explores how girls are leaders who are capable of effecting change in their communities and the world.
3. I support entrepreneurship addresses how girls can innovate and create opportunities by starting their own businesses.
4. I believe in education looks at the power of education to reduce poverty and inequality, raise awareness and create sustainable development, as well as addressing the barriers many girls face in accessing education.
5. I promote healthy living explores the role of health, nutrition and an active lifestyle in creating strong girls.

This joint effort by Canadian girls, stakeholders and community partners builds on momentum created by Canada’s global leadership on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, which aims to put an end to the needless deaths of women and children across the developing world within a generation."