Do you want a gender just world? A world where girls and young women, in all their diversity, are seen, heard and valued? A world where they can claim power over their bodies, lives and choices? A world where they are able be powerful leaders and shape the world around them? Yes? Then, you’ve come to the right place. This Girls Get Equal campaign toolkit is for you – young activists, human rights defenders and change makers all over the world. Now, is the time for action!
This digital version of the toolkit is abridged. Please download the toolkit (in full, by section, or sub-section) using the buttons for full details.
Section 1:
What is Girls Get Equal
Whether it’s on TV or film, in the streets, in the classroom, in the household, in places of worship, the boardroom, or the chambers of parliament, girls and young women are persistently undervalued, undermined and underestimated. We are held back by outdated rules that ignore our potential, suppress our power and subject us to violence and abuse.
Well, we’ve had enough! We are done with being silenced and ignored. We are refusing to accept the inequality and injustice we’ve inherited.
Our vision
A world where girls and young women, in all their diversity (including but not limited to non-binary and gender queer identities), are equally able to make decisions about their own lives and shape the world around them.
Boys and men as allies
Girls and young women, in all their diversity, are at the forefront of driving Girls Get Equal. This is because they are the most impacted by gender injustices. However, boys and men are critical partners and allies.
Boys and men, in all their diversity, have vital roles to play as change-makers and champions of gender equality.
What if people say "why girls"?
A lot of the time, we hear people say “why Girls Get Equal? Should it be All Get Equal?”. The response? This campaign is not about one gender rising above another. Rather, it is about all genders rising together.
Other resources:
- Read this blog by Gonzalo, 24, from El Salvador on A man’s role in gender equality activism and watch his video on How to be a gender equality and LGBTIQ+ ally
- Watch Sifat, 22, from Bangladesh on How to be a male feminist
- Promundo’s 9 Steps to being a better male ally for gender equality
- Check out this infographic on Boys and Men as Partners for Advancing Gender Equality
- Ways to navigate situations when you’ve made a mistake: 9 phrases allies can say when called out (instead of getting defensive)
- Check out this Girls’ Rights Fact Sheet
Section 2:
Let's get to work: campaigning basics
This section lays out the key components of a successful campaign plan.
Remember: Always make sure your goal is strong and engaging enough to motivate and mobilise your target audiences to take action!
Here are some additional resources to help you through the process:
- 70+ time-tested guidelines for how to design successful campaigns (Beautiful Rising)
- Read stories of memorable campaigns analysing what worked and what didn’t…and why! (Beautiful Rising)
How to conduct an analysis of your Girls Get Equal context
Downloading this section will help you map your stakeholders and the systems that have power over that issue. Click to download each individual activity worksheet.
Activity 1: STAKEHOLDER MAPPING
Plot who has a stake in your Girls Get Equal campaign.
Activity 2: WHICH Stakeholders WILL YOU TARGET AND HOW?
Additional tools to guide your system analysis.
Tips for campaign messaging on Girls Get Equal
In this section, you can use these two exercises to think through how you would communicate your Girls Get Equal campaign to others, and how you would convince them to support you.
Activity 1: Build your pitch
Activity 2: Head, heart and hands tool (appeal to your audience)
How to manage risk with to yourself, others and your campaign
All campaigns will face risks – especially working on gender equality and girls’ rights due to the varying degrees of resistance and backlash. The important thing is to identify the risks in advance and plan for how to avoid them if you can – or how to manage them if risks turn into realities.
Use the tool in this download to help you consider and work through risks.
How to fundraise effectively and sustainably
In this section are helpful tips and resources on who to target, what funders look for and how to raise your own funds!
Tip: Check out Plan International’s EQUALITY ACCELERATOR for funding opportunities, tips and tools.
Section 3:
Let's take action
So, you’ve got your campaign basics sorted, now it’s time to figure out what you need your key stakeholders and target audiences to do to take action on Equal Power, Equal Freedom Online and in Public and/or Equal Representation!
This section will guide you on how to activate the Girls Get Equal demands by mobilising the public and building a supporter base.
Now, let's get to work!
Share this toolkit with your friends, groups and networks!
We would like to say a BIG thank you to all the activists from 11 countries around the world who helped to design this toolkit – in Ecuador, El Salvador, USA, Germany, Sudan, Bangladesh, Senegal, South Africa, Kenya, Malawi, and Indonesia.