https://www.girlsglobe.org Gender equality, human rights and social justice. Thu, 12 Jun 2025 07:04:53 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 https://i0.wp.com/www.girlsglobe.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/girlsglobe_icon_green2-1.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 https://www.girlsglobe.org 32 32 128553070 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/06/12/francisca-sequeira-surf-therapy-and-girls-mental-wellbeing/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/06/12/francisca-sequeira-surf-therapy-and-girls-mental-wellbeing/#respond Thu, 12 Jun 2025 06:54:21 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=66605 Francisca Sequeira is the founder and president of SOMA (Sufers Proud of African Women), the first surf therapy organization in Africa dedicated exclusively to girls.

Francisca, from Portugal, embarked on a new journey in 2020 during the pandemic. She was experiencing anxiety and panic attacks after losing her job as a flight attendant, and discovered surf therapy—a combination of surfing, mental well-being, and empowerment.

What started as a solo trip of self-discovery turned into a larger movement to support women and girls in the islands of São Tomé and Principe.

The organization’s vision is to create the next generation of independent and self-sustainable women, surfing infinite waves of well-being, opportunities, and equity across Africa.]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/06/12/francisca-sequeira-surf-therapy-and-girls-mental-wellbeing/feed/ 0 66605 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/06/06/alison-arngrim-usa/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/06/06/alison-arngrim-usa/#respond Fri, 06 Jun 2025 08:30:37 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=66578 Alison Arngrim is an American actress, author, philanthropist, and advocate for the protection of children from abuse, exploitation, and neglect.

At five years old, Alison began her television career and is best known for her portrayal of Nellie Olsen on the NBC television series, "Little House on the Prairie."  

In this episode, Alison discusses

- her experiences of being a child actor and growing up in a family where working in show business was the norm,
- having a slow-down in bookings at eleven years old, prompting her father to tell her that her acting career might be over,
- at twelve years old, being cast as Nellie Olsen in "Little House on the Prairie",
- after years of being famous, doing shows and personal appearances, finding ways to schedule downtime and relax,
- how stardom affects people’s expectations of her in social gatherings,
- beginning her comedy career at fifteen years old, at the height of her popularity on Little House on the Prairie, by writing a comedy act with a group called The Village Idiots and performing in Los Angeles clubs and coffee houses four nights a week,
- beginning to her philanthropic work at twelve years old then, in the 1980s, when the actor Steve Trace went public with his AIDS diagnosis, volunteering to support the AIDS Project Los Angeles,
- in the early 2000s, becoming involved with a newly formed The National Association to Protect Children (protect.org), working with Congress and many States to enact legislation to rescue children, combat child exploitation and human trafficking, support cutting-edge technology, and increase government accountability and transparency,
- going public with her own abuse as a child,
- now serving as President of The Board of Directors of The National Association to Protect Children,
- and encouraging us all to use our strengths and our weaknesses.]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/06/06/alison-arngrim-usa/feed/ 0 66578 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/03/31/dr-patty-johnson-usa/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/03/31/dr-patty-johnson-usa/#respond Mon, 31 Mar 2025 12:15:20 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=66478 Dr. Patty Johnson is a writer and psychologist who believes in healing through stories.

She is currently working on a memoir and has 2 published books—Essays of Night and Daylight and Breathe & Release: A 12 Month Journal for Healing from Anxiety.

In this episode, Dr. Johnson discusses:

- what sparked her interest in becoming a psychologist…
- being guided by behavioral medicine, a model of integrating both the physiological and the psychological…
- how important listening to people's stories has been in her life…
- being born in America to immigrant parents, and cultural differences that she and her family navigated…
- behavioral medicine, a model of integrating the physiological and the psychological…
- exploring how the mind and body work together...
- generational trauma…
- immigrant trauma…
- the beauty and complexity of growing up in two cultures…
- the importance of helping people align their physical symptoms with what is happening in their life or with what they have been thinking about…
- her love of writing and how, as an adolescent, writing helped her process feelings she was unable to discuss…
- the healing power of stories…
- our experience of seeing ourselves differently from how others see us…
- meditating on the power, strength, and ability we have to do things that we were told we could not do…
- the importance of realizing that it doesn't matter what other people say about us if we know who we are…
- and these inspiring words, “There's so much strength in fighting to be who we are.”]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/03/31/dr-patty-johnson-usa/feed/ 0 66478 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/01/10/pooja-priyamvada-india/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/01/10/pooja-priyamvada-india/#respond Fri, 10 Jan 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=66291 Pooja Priyamvada is a higher education educator in various fields, including media, literature, mental health and theater.

Pooja holds a background in media. She is an author, a translator and, more recently, an entrepreneur. Pooja likes to say that she is also a full-time parent. 

In this episode, Pooja discusses
- her reasons to begin writing about mental health after experiencing postpartum depression about 16 years ago…
- her prior interest in mental illnesses and mental health…
- the stigma and taboo one faces in discussing depression, and the challenges at the time, of finding psychiatrists and psychologists in Delhi…
- beginning to educate herself about mental health support and training to become a counselor…
- the broad misunderstanding of mental health…
- the dismissal and resistance someone faces when speaking about their mental health experiences…
- cultural norms that expect women “to  stay within the margins that are defined for us”  and to not speak out…. 
- the books she has written and translated…
- writing newspaper columns and appearing on radio shows…
- being labeled a mental health activist despite her diverse roles and areas of expertise…
- her experiences with the cultural expectations related to death and grieving…
- her role as a grief counsellor…
- the various forms of grief….
- intersectional feminism…
- the importance of women lending support to each other and building each other up…
- the power of sisterhood, of community, and of our collective voice…
- and the reminder that “You are the most important person in your life."]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/01/10/pooja-priyamvada-india/feed/ 0 66291 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/10/11/3-ways-to-support-girls-education-in-afghanistan/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/10/11/3-ways-to-support-girls-education-in-afghanistan/#respond Fri, 11 Oct 2024 11:46:04 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=66182&preview=true&preview_id=66182 Education is a powerful tool for transforming lives, especially for Afghan women and girls who have faced tremendous challenges. For many, education has become the key to unlocking their potential and breaking cycles of poverty.

As one Afghan student shared, "Education is our weapon against oppression. It opens doors to opportunities that we never thought were possible."

On this International Day of the Girl, we celebrate the strength, resilience, and pride of girls in Afghanistan—today and every day.]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/10/11/3-ways-to-support-girls-education-in-afghanistan/feed/ 0 66182 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/05/28/transforming-womens-nutrition-in-west-africa/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/05/28/transforming-womens-nutrition-in-west-africa/#respond Tue, 28 May 2024 13:35:48 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=65872&preview=true&preview_id=65872 At The Hunger Project, we facilitate individual and collective action to transform the systems of inequity that create hunger and cause it to persist. Gender inequality is one of the most deeply rooted inequities and is responsible for keeping millions of women and girls malnourished. Globally,  the gap between men’s and women’s hunger has widened, with food insecurity as of 2022 has been affecting 150 million more women than men. 

Malnutrition impacts girls' and women's health and wellbeing, reducing economic potential, new opportunities, and learning capacity. It reinforces gender inequality. 

To break this cycle of malnutrition, community leaders from around West Africa are working with The Hunger Project to improve maternal and early childhood nutrition and create thriving communities.]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/05/28/transforming-womens-nutrition-in-west-africa/feed/ 0 65872 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/02/05/young-people-on-breaking-the-stigma-around-mental-health/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/02/05/young-people-on-breaking-the-stigma-around-mental-health/#respond Mon, 05 Feb 2024 10:59:40 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=65325

One in six young people globally faces mental health challenges, according to the World Health Organization.

And the stigma around mental health limits opportunities for necessary support and treatment.

That's why young people are breaking the stigma around mental health through advocacy, activism and storytelling.

Through the Rising Minds podcast, young people shape conversations on the issues that impact their lives and wellbeing.

"Sometimes merely giving an empathic listening ear to someone experiencing suicidal thoughts can save their lives," says Emmanuel Nii-Boye Quarshie, PhD, Senior Lecturer of Psychology at the University of Ghana.

In a series of deep dive blog posts, Fondation Botnar and Girls' Globe summarise key messages from the speakers of the podcasts.

This post reviews what young people have to say about breaking the stigma around mental health.
]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/02/05/young-people-on-breaking-the-stigma-around-mental-health/feed/ 0 65325 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/01/29/3-reasons-why-community-driven-initiatives-matter-for-mental-health/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/01/29/3-reasons-why-community-driven-initiatives-matter-for-mental-health/#respond Mon, 29 Jan 2024 11:47:38 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=65327

When creating programs to strengthen young people's mental health - they must be community driven.

This involves recognizing the value of young people within a community and actively involving them in the design and implementation of mental health programs - and more.

Through the Rising Minds podcast, young people shape conversations on the issues that impact their lives and wellbeing.

This post reviews 3 reasons why community-driven initiatives matter for young people's mental health.

]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/01/29/3-reasons-why-community-driven-initiatives-matter-for-mental-health/feed/ 0 65327 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/01/18/invaluable-advice-from-changemakers-part-2/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/01/18/invaluable-advice-from-changemakers-part-2/#respond Thu, 18 Jan 2024 09:33:47 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=65320&preview=true&preview_id=65320

This is part 2 of invaluable advice from changemakers! With a special focus on the importance of self care, we hear advice on managing hopelessness, uncomfortable work and our own health. We also hear amazing advice on how to connect with our own power. This episode of the Hey Changemaker! Podcast features advice from Nasra Ayub, Bulelwa Adonis, Riya Williams Yuyada, Celina de Sola, Lina Abirafeh and Sharon D'Agostino.  "Put your health and your mental health first, there's no point in you being here if you're not functioning." - Nasra Ayub In this episode, you'll hear from changemakers how they do just that. How do they stay hopeful, strong and confident in the midst of a very troubled world?]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/01/18/invaluable-advice-from-changemakers-part-2/feed/ 0 65320 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2023/10/12/heartbreak-compassion-and-determined-action/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2023/10/12/heartbreak-compassion-and-determined-action/#respond Thu, 12 Oct 2023 10:15:51 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=64603&preview=true&preview_id=64603

In this episode, Julia Wiklander speaks about the horrors happening in Palestine and Israel and in other parts of the world. She shares how she believes we must let it break our hearts, to allow for compassion and determined action. 

If you're feeling hopeless or overwhelmed by the situation in different parts of the world, the polarisation and violence - this episode may help.

Julia talks about how she is coping and why heartbreak can be a powerful way to build compassion and determined action.
]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2023/10/12/heartbreak-compassion-and-determined-action/feed/ 0 64603