https://www.girlsglobe.org Gender equality, human rights and social justice. Mon, 23 Jun 2025 08:03:05 +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/2025/06/23/yunah-buvmbwe-zimbabwe/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/06/23/yunah-buvmbwe-zimbabwe/#respond Mon, 23 Jun 2025 08:03:01 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=66618 Yunah Buvmbwe is a blogger and a community activist for women's rights. She is also a volunteer for local organizations. 

In this episode, Yunah discusses:

- experiences and observations that motivated her to begin writing poems about girls' rights when she was 12 years old…
- realizing that she could be a voice for girls and women who did not feel that they could speak out…
- what motivates her to continue writing about the challenges women and girls face…
- in college, learning about blogging, attending workshops, and creating her own personal blog, Today’s Truths—My Voice is My Purpose, What’s Yours?…
- writing for the Girls’ Globe platform…
- how reading about other women’s work in their communities helps keep her motivated…
- the importance of working to ensure that government policies are implemented, like the Education Amendment Act in her country…
- how writing helped her overcome shyness and build self-confidence…
- her connection with the women in her community, how their experiences inspire her writing, and the project she initiated to support women in addressing the real issues they face…
- her mother’s role in helping women in the community, too…
- how social media has helped her interact with other woman and see what they are doing in communities globally to advance women’s rights…
- the importance of creating safe spaces for women to share their ideas and their experiences…
- and why we all need to raise critical issues and challenge stereotypes that women face in our own communities.]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/06/23/yunah-buvmbwe-zimbabwe/feed/ 0 66618 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/2025/05/23/danielle-mullings-jamaica/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/05/23/danielle-mullings-jamaica/#respond Fri, 23 May 2025 11:41:50 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=66557 Danielle Mullings is a dynamic young leader and technology enthusiast from Jamaica.

She does a fun mix of tech, youth empowerment, and media, hosting a youth TV show, moderating global science events, and serving on Jamaica’s AI Task Force. Danielle is currently juggling these responsibilities while part-time pursuing her Masters of Science in Translational Health Sciences at Oxford University while also working with regional and international entities. 

In this episode, Danielle discusses

- her commitment to bringing young people together, listening to their experiences and ensuring that their voices are heard.
- leadership roles early in her school and university years.
- incorporating the viewpoints of others in the youth leadership and advocacy space.
- working to increase the number of young people  involved in decision-making forums.
- growing up in a loving and supportive family, and the important life lessons her family taught her.
- being encouraged to pursue roles of increasing scope and responsibilities as a university student, including running for Guild President, leading thousands of students and being the official representative to the university administration, as well as the regional university administration, representing 50,000 students across the Caribbean.
- the role of technology in effectively gathering and using data to understand and communicate the needs of students.
- how her experiences led her to become the host of a youth TV show in Jamaica, showcasing young people, their stories, and their accomplishments.
- the importance of individualized approaches to self-care.
- ways to deal with our own self-criticise.
- the importance of volunteerism and how it can lead to unexpected career opportunities.
- having the courage to apply for roles that may seem out of reach.
- how introducing herself to a Government Minister led to being invited to join Jamaica’s AI Task Force and another government committee.
- the power of a simple compliment in encouraging others, and the reminder to be more positive as we speak with people day-to-day.
- and her advice to young women (and us all) to “shoot for the stars” as we find our voice.]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/05/23/danielle-mullings-jamaica/feed/ 0 66557 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/05/12/nisha-pahuja-to-kill-a-tiger-the-standwithher-campaign/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/05/12/nisha-pahuja-to-kill-a-tiger-the-standwithher-campaign/#respond Mon, 12 May 2025 12:08:07 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=66556 Nisha Pahuja is the Oscar-nominated filmmaker behind the film To Kill a Tiger.

To Kill a Tiger had its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the Amplify Voices Award for Best Canadian Feature Film. Since then, it’s garnered 29 awards including the Best Documentary Feature, Palm Springs International Film Festival, three Canadian Screen awards and the DGC Allan King Award for Best Documentary Feature, 2023.

"To Kill a Tiger” is a story about Ranjit, a farmer in Jharkhand, who takes on the fight of his life when he demands justice for his 13-year-old daughter, Kiran, the survivor of sexual assault. It is a story of resilience, hope, bravery and a father’s unwavering love for his daughter. The film is available for streaming on Netflix.

In this episode, Julia speaks with Nisha about To Kill a Tiger and the global #StandWithHer campaign. Nisha shares her own story and journey of determination and resilience as a filmmaker and gives us insight into the process of making this film. She also shares what's come next for Kiran and Ranjit.  ]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/05/12/nisha-pahuja-to-kill-a-tiger-the-standwithher-campaign/feed/ 0 66556 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/05/09/susan-jeremy-usa/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/05/09/susan-jeremy-usa/#respond Fri, 09 May 2025 07:29:58 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=66529 Susan Jeremy is a solo performer, stand-up, playwright and public school teacher in New York City.

As a performer, she keeps her audiences laughing with many characters, music, observations, and dry wit. She is the author of seven solo shows which she performs internationally. Susan’s works have been featured around the world at comedy festivals, including the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. She is the recipient of the Best Comedy and Best Production award at Montreal Fringe Festival along with Best touring show at Hamilton Fringe. 

In this episode, Susan discusses her seventh solo show, Robert Will Show You the Door (Tales of Being Fired), and how being fired from a series of jobs led her to becoming a special education teacher. She reveals that she is an undiagnosed person with dyslexia and how this affected what she thought was possible. She discusses how performing led her to find her confidence and overcome her learning disability.

When she started substitute teaching she used her daily experiences to write her first a solo show. She brought the show to Montreal and it was an instant hit, landing her a contract to tour the show nationally, only to have it cancelled when 9/11 happened. Susan took this as a sign that she was supposed to work with kids. When she was offered a full time teaching job, she took it, walked away from show business and went to grad school at night. A feat that she never saw was possible.

Susan learned that the way forward is to not listen to people who say “you can’t do this” and never to doubt yourself. The mere act of trying is brave and will lead you on a path to accomplish things.

As a breast cancer survivor, Susan discusses how facing a life challenging illness made her  even more determined to accomplish her goals. She used humor as a survival technique and inspired others who were going through treatment. This led her to teaching children who were in the hospital. Having already survived cancer, she knew that these kids wanted to have a normal school session and not be seen as patients. 

She wants our listeners to trust themselves if they are uncertain, and if you don’t know how to do something, just act as if you do and the confidence will lead you through. 

You can learn more about Susan Jeremy and find information about her upcoming performances, at https://www.susanjeremy.net/]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/05/09/susan-jeremy-usa/feed/ 0 66529 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/2024/11/11/maricar-jagger-indonesia-and-united-kingdom/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/11/11/maricar-jagger-indonesia-and-united-kingdom/#respond Mon, 11 Nov 2024 14:20:17 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=66244&preview=true&preview_id=66244 Maricar Jagger was born in a small town on the island of Borneo in Indonesia. She has experienced life in different countries growing up, and studied in the United States. 

Maricar wanted to be an artist but studied business in college and pursued a career in Marketing. She is a creative at heart, and she believes in the power of the arts to change lives. You can see Maricar’s beautiful, handmade cards at http://etsy.com/shop/Maricards.

In this episode, Maricar discusses how:

- her mother taught her to be a businesswoman and entrepreneur at a very young age, and how she began making and embroidering purses that she sold to classmates.

- realizing later, in secondary school, that she could earn money from her creative work.

- the importance of recognizing your unique skills.

- experiencing bullying at work and then resigning from her job during the pandemic.

- accepting an administrative job working with Ukrainian refugees and helping match them with local hosts in the UK.

- encouraging artists to explore their exhibit and sell their work.

- the importance of saying “yes” to opportunities.

- overcoming fear.

- and this inspiring advice to us all, “I realized that sometimes you really need to speak up to get your voice heard. It's no point waiting for people to discover you or to find you. Feel the fear, but do it anyway.”]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/11/11/maricar-jagger-indonesia-and-united-kingdom/feed/ 0 66244 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/2024/06/10/a-new-narrative-memoir-a-life-advocating-for-women-in-burma/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/06/10/a-new-narrative-memoir-a-life-advocating-for-women-in-burma/#respond Mon, 10 Jun 2024 08:33:00 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=65935 This book, Intrepid Paths Burma, is my tribute to Burmese women and girls—their incredible strength, resilience, perseverance, and potential.

The book’s embedded narrative memoir allowed me to protect the identities of my protagonists, to incorporate short fiction stories that would readily capture readers’ attention, and to provide the backstory of my involvement with Burma and its people.

In writing these stories, based on lives of women and girls known to me, I carry their faces in my mind—these women who entrusted me with their secrets. I feel a responsibility to accurately convey the restrictions under which they live—legal, political, cultural, economic, prejudicial, fear, and lack of access to basic rights. It’s within these parameters that these women constantly demonstrate their strength.

This guest post is written by Melody Mociulski. ]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/06/10/a-new-narrative-memoir-a-life-advocating-for-women-in-burma/feed/ 0 65935 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/05/10/elisa-gambino-usa/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/05/10/elisa-gambino-usa/#respond Fri, 10 May 2024 08:24:09 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=65791&preview=true&preview_id=65791 Elisa Gambino began her career as a producer in the CNN Rome bureau.  After 15 years of covering conflict and upheavals  for CNN, she together with her partner and husband founded their own production company, One Production Place Films, where they devote their time, energy and talents to sharing stories about how we live in community with each other. 

One of Elisa’s recent projects was the catalyst for the largest environmental justice grant in the state of New York when the governor provided 150 million dollars for the city of Mount Vernon to repair their sewage systems.

In this episode, Elisa discusses:
- her early work as a journalist and how it still shapes her filmmaking…
- her work in the CNN Rome bureau…
- being sent with the team covering the fall of the Berlin Wall and facing the challenges and opportunities of handling new responsibilities as history unfolded…
- continuing to win new assignments in various regions of the world…
- “growing” into being a producer at CNN…
- meeting her husband, who was a cameraman at CNN…
- her experiences seeing communities destroyed because of conflicts that were oftentimes out of their control…
- the important role that the legendary Ingrid Formanek has played in her career, giving her increasing responsibilities and encouragement when they worked together, and encouragement that continues today…
- leaving CNN and deciding to pursue something totally new by opening a successful fresh pasta shop that eventually closed as a result of the economic crisis of 2008…
- with her partner and husband, founding a production company that focuses on community and how we live together…
- approaching documentary filmmaking from the vantage point of being observers rather than being part of the story they are sharing…
- being in a constant state of learning as she covers a wide range of issues in her filmmaking…
- still needed to remind herself to be her own best friend…
- the importance of asking ourselves how we can do better, and then working in community to change what needs to be changed…
- recognizing that we have the power to drive change…
- empowering others by letting them know that their voices matter and that people are listening.  (USA)]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/05/10/elisa-gambino-usa/feed/ 0 65791