She's the First Global Awareness Program (GAP)
Effective advocacy, engagement, and change-making require us to be aware of what is happening in the world around us—in our own community, the communities of girls we are supporting, and everywhere else. For that reason, Christen Brandt and Vivian Nunez founded the She's the First Global Awareness Program in 2013.
In its original form, the GAP involved monthly Google Hangout meetings with chapter representatives from She's The First chapters across the United States. The representatives would then bring what they learned in these discussions back to their chapters.
Today, the (inter)national aspect of GAP has evolved into a broader series of livestreams, YouTube videos, and the online STF Campus Community, but our chapter at UW-Madison continues to select relevant global issues to learn about and discuss at each biweekly meeting.
You can check out some past Global Awareness presentations from She's the First UW-Madison here.
If you want to see some of STF National's efforts to increase global awareness, watch some Front Row Friday videos with international girl experts, read STF's blog Girl Talk (featuring submissions from girls all over the world), or find She's the First on any social media platform.
In its original form, the GAP involved monthly Google Hangout meetings with chapter representatives from She's The First chapters across the United States. The representatives would then bring what they learned in these discussions back to their chapters.
Today, the (inter)national aspect of GAP has evolved into a broader series of livestreams, YouTube videos, and the online STF Campus Community, but our chapter at UW-Madison continues to select relevant global issues to learn about and discuss at each biweekly meeting.
You can check out some past Global Awareness presentations from She's the First UW-Madison here.
If you want to see some of STF National's efforts to increase global awareness, watch some Front Row Friday videos with international girl experts, read STF's blog Girl Talk (featuring submissions from girls all over the world), or find She's the First on any social media platform.
Global Awareness in 2020
It's become a cliché: 2020 has brought us into some seriously unprecedented times, with the onset of a global pandemic, renewed attention for the Black Lives Matter movement brought on by an intolerable amount of police violence against BIPOC, and, in America, a presidential election that is expected to be "like no other." All of these things are soaking up our attention, and that's good—they should be, because they are unquestionably important—but She's the First reminds us how important it is to not forget about adolescent girls in these conversations.
COVID-19
COVID-19 poses a major threat to girls around the world. According to the Malala Fund, an estimated 20 million more secondary school-aged girls will be out of school after the COVID-19 crisis passes. This in turn increases risks of gender-based violence and unwanted pregnancy and decreases access to sexual and reproductive health services. You can read more from STF co-founders Tammy Tibbetts and Christen Brandt about COVID-19's effects on adolescent girls here and explore STF's COVID-19 Response here.
#BlackLivesMatter
"She’s the First unequivocally stands in solidarity with the fight against systemic racism, white supremacy, and the oppression of Black communities worldwide. Through—and beyond—our work for girls globally, we commit to taking anti-racism actions today, and everyday, because there can be no gender justice without racial justice."
The future we envision for girls cannot happen unless all girls' rights and lives are respected. In America, Black girls face the impacts of adultification bias from as young as five years old. The adultification of Black girls refers to the perception that they:
- are more mature and less in need of protection than non-Black girls
- are too aggressive or have attitudes when simply explaining their point of view, especially to authority figures
- are deliberately acting out, rather than making a mistake, despite being a child
Check out the following video for a deeper look into adultification bias.
COVID-19
COVID-19 poses a major threat to girls around the world. According to the Malala Fund, an estimated 20 million more secondary school-aged girls will be out of school after the COVID-19 crisis passes. This in turn increases risks of gender-based violence and unwanted pregnancy and decreases access to sexual and reproductive health services. You can read more from STF co-founders Tammy Tibbetts and Christen Brandt about COVID-19's effects on adolescent girls here and explore STF's COVID-19 Response here.
#BlackLivesMatter
"She’s the First unequivocally stands in solidarity with the fight against systemic racism, white supremacy, and the oppression of Black communities worldwide. Through—and beyond—our work for girls globally, we commit to taking anti-racism actions today, and everyday, because there can be no gender justice without racial justice."
The future we envision for girls cannot happen unless all girls' rights and lives are respected. In America, Black girls face the impacts of adultification bias from as young as five years old. The adultification of Black girls refers to the perception that they:
- are more mature and less in need of protection than non-Black girls
- are too aggressive or have attitudes when simply explaining their point of view, especially to authority figures
- are deliberately acting out, rather than making a mistake, despite being a child
Check out the following video for a deeper look into adultification bias.
