stand up girls
Why do girls need to stand up?
Here's why:
Because girls need support.
70% of girls believe they are not good enough or do not measure up in some way, including their looks, performance in school and relationships with family and friends. (Real Girls, Real Pressure: National Report on the State of Self-Esteem, Dove Self-Esteem Fund)
74% of girls say they are under pressure to please everyone (Girls Inc, The Supergirl Dilemma)
98% of girls feel there is an immense pressure from external sources to look a certain way (National Report on Self Esteem)
92% of teen girls would like to change something about the way they look, with body weight ranking the highest. (Dove campaign)
Because the opportunities for our girls in the workplace are still not equal.
According to the Center for American Progress, although women hold almost 52 percent of all professional-level jobs, American women lag substantially behind men when it comes to their representation in leadership positions:
They are only 14.6 percent of executive officers, 8.1 percent of top earners, and 4.6 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs.
They hold just 16.9 percent of Fortune 500 board seats.
In the financial services industry, they make up 54.2 percent of the labor force, but are only 12.4 percent of executive officers, and 18.3 percent of board directors. None are CEOs.
They account for 78.4 percent of the labor force in health care and social assistance but only 14.6 percent of executive officers and 12.4 percent of board directors. None, again, are CEOs.
In the legal field, they are 45.4 percent of associates—but only 25 percent of non-equity partners and 15 percent of equity partners.
In medicine, they comprise 34.3 percent of all physicians and surgeons but only 15.9 percent of medical school deans.
In information technology, they hold only 9 percent of management positions and account for only 14 percent of senior management positions at Silicon Valley startups.
Because we need to stand up for girls around the globe.
Young women and girls make up half of the global youth population. According to UN Women, that's where gender equality ends. Worldwide, girls are still less likely to go to school than boys; still get less food and resources; and are disproportionately impacted by gender-based violence. In many cases, the marginalization of girls and young women starts early, follows into adolescence and adulthood, and perpetuates poverty and inequalities worldwide.
Together, Stand Up Girls can make a difference -- one girl, one school, one community at a time -- toward a more peaceful, inclusive and compassionate world.