As a woman and mother to two girls, I believe that girls everywhere should be treated equally, empowered, and safe. This belief is deeply held, both for personal and biblical reasons.
As such, I champion gender equality everyday and especially today, International Day of the Girl 2020. The theme for this day is “My voice, our equal future.” This theme resonates with me so deeply, as it brings a wonderful opportunity to the world to be inspired by and take action for the changes adolescent girls want and need. 
Today’s post is dedicated to my two strong girls. I champion my girls as the change-makers this world desperately needs.
It has been said that girls with dreams become women with vision. My oldest daughter, Raegan is girl with dreams that, with her family’s help, is growing into a woman with a beautiful vision. She is an activist in her own right, aiming to reimagine a brighter future for her, her sister, and the more than 1.1 billion girls under 18 around the world.
Today, I am using my own platform to amplify the issues Raegan told me she cares about, in her own words:
- Eradicating racism
- The environment
- Access to food; world hunger
- Ending slavery and human trafficking
- Girls’ access to educationĀ
- Children’s safety from abuse and detainmentĀ
- Global mental healthĀ
- Girl powerĀ
I’m working with Raegan to cultivate her efforts towards creating the positive social change she envisions. I am so excited to help turn her dreams into a vision!
I challenge you to think of ways you can address the needs of and create opportunities for adolescent girls in your life. Share their stories and their organizations. Amplify their leadership. Give them a seat at the table, even at the head of the table. Most of all, I implore to value women and girls just as God does. Refrain from debasing girls, tuning them out, talking over them and interrupting them. They are speaking. They are worth heeding. They are endowed with God-given talents and gifts that the world would be remiss in ignoring.
Celebrate the girls in your life and champion their voice!
