by Raissa, Member of the Girl Rising Girls Advisory Council Life often happens in bits, each one working quietly with the others to shape an identity, a creative, or a narrative steeped in uncertainty. Every bit is a fragment of a larger puzzle, carrying its own memory, belonging first to itself. Twenty years have slowly drifted down memory lane, from ignorance to experience. Every fight, fright, and flight felt like a rehearsal for the woman I am becoming. Little Raissa was

by Mahita Vootukuru, Girls Advisory Council Member Growing up in 20th-century India, my grandmother never received a formal education due to societal preference for sons. Nevertheless, she ensured her daughters were educated and empowered to forge their own paths. My mother carried forward this legacy, balancing a full-time job with managing our household while passing down my grandmother’s values of resilience and empowerment to me. I wouldn’t have been able to pursue my pas

A conversation between Student Ambassador Rebecca Yang and Girl Rising Community Manager Naomi Ramos Naomi - What drove you to create Read to Respond and when did you start? Rebecca - Read to Respond was born out of my love for reading and community service. Originally, I started it as a school club last year, where I hoped to show classmates the power of turning words into action. We have partnered with 6 local nonprofits around the area, hosted volunteer events, and most im

by Zainab Bie, Girl Rising Student Ambassador At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, Climate Leader and Girl Rising Student Ambassador Zainab Bie met with young women from around the world whose lives and leadership are shaped by the climate crisis. Their perspectives are rooted in lived experience, advocacy, and deep commitment to justice. They know from personal and professional experience just what is at stake - and their demand that the voices of girls and young women must be central

By Alishba Junejo, Girl Rising Student Ambassador, Pakistan In my home in Pakistan, I watched the women who worked as domestic help spend long hours cleaning, cooking, and caring for families. They were oftentimes the main earners in their households, but when payday arrived, almost none of the money stayed with them. Their husbands collected their salaries, deciding how to spend them: on their expenses, on relatives, or on virtually anything but the women who had earned them

This year has brought unprecedented cuts to foreign aid, rolling back hard-won progress. The headlines capture the numbers, billions lost...