She's the First

“Let this holiday be a day of reflection, a day of teaching nonviolent philosophy and strategy, a day of getting involved in nonviolent action for social and economic progress.” – Coretta Scott King

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for a world where everyone was treated equally and fairly. His wife, fellow activist Coretta Scott King, worked for over twenty years to ensure his legacy was honored through . This day is not just for remembering—it’s a chance to act and make a difference.

🔹 On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, think about how you can help build a fair and equitable society. A starting place is following Black women activists like Bernice A. King Blair Imani Oh Happy Dani and Anti-Racism Daily
🔹 Take action to create a better future where women, girls, and everyone’s rights are codified and respected. Get ideas at GirlsBillofRights.org
🔹 And remember Coretta Scott King, who made this day possible through her hard work and dedication. Learn more about her contributions to the Civil Rights Movement at The King Center

Let’s honor their legacy by turning our reflection into action and keeping the dream alive for everyone. 💪🏽



📸: clockwise from top: Bernard Gotfryd/Library of Congress, Dick DeMarsico/New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection/Library of Congress, Herman Hiller/World Telegram & Sun/ Library of Congress

Take action to help ensure girls in the United States can choose their own futures! ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻

Contact the Archivist of the U.S. to demand she publish the Equal Rights Amendment.

Use this template from to email Dr. Colleen Joy Shogan at [email protected]

Subject: Publish the ERA now!

President Biden said the ERA is law of the land, and has met the requirements needed to be published. Do your duty and publish the ERA now!

You can also post on social media and tag her, too! ()

🚨 Get to know our new Co-CEO! 🚨 In her first message in her new role as Co-CEO, Kate Kiama reflects on STF’s incredible growth in 2024 and shares her and co-CEO Tammy Tibbetts’ bold vision for the future.

✨ “As Tammy and I firmly ground ourselves in our new roles at the turn of She’s the First’s 15th anniversary, our objective is to build powerful new partnerships to scale our model for depth and influence. Our ultimate goal is stronger outcomes for girls’ education, leadership, and agency, particularly in the Global South/majority world; by expanding and deepening our programming, we can accomplish that for more girls. At the same time, we know our mission will be more relevant than ever for girls in the U.S. as we support their activism for their rights during a fearful time in the country.”

Join us to fight for a world where every girl can choose her own future! 🌍💪
https://shesthefirst.org/news-blog-roll/2025/1/7/introducing-our-co-ceo-together-we-can-do-more-for-girls

Introducing our new Co-CEO: Together, we can do more for girls — She's the First In her first letter as Co-CEO, Kate Kiama reflects on She’s the First’s growth in 2024 and discusses her and Tammy Tibbett’s shared vision to ensure more girls access education and mentorship, creating lasting change for gender equality worldwide. “As Tammy and I firmly ground ourselves in o...

Following the U.S. election results, She’s the First spoke with girls in our Chapters program who live in states and areas where women’s bodies are politicized.

A university student from Arizona said that men on her campus held signs that said, “Women are property.”

A girl from a high school in Texas told us that boys were walking around the hallway saying, “Your body, my choice.”

We asked Allison and Sania, two alums of our Girl Activist Fellowship, for their thoughts about the rise of sexist discourse and what girls can do to fight back: https://shesthefirst.org/news-blog-roll/2024/12/27/fighting-misogyny-two-student-activists-share-how-girls-can-take-a-stand

Every girl deserves to have mentors who listen to her, a safe commute to school and the space to dream.

Kavita’s journey is a testament to resilience and hope. After struggling with transportation issues that kept her from attending school, she was determined not to let anything stop her. With the support of her mentors at our partner Sahas, Kavita now has the chance to go to school every day on her new bicycle, and her dreams are becoming a reality.

"I feel heard, encouraged, and confident. I believe I can do anything I’ve always wished to do."

Kavita is not just going back to school, she’s building a future where nothing holds her back.

Help girls like Kavita break barriers and unlock their potential! https://givebutter.com/girlsfirst

"My mentorship lessons changed my academic performance completely. Before, I had no self-motivation to study, no goals or dreams. My mentor asked me, ‘Where will you be after finishing school?’"

Challenged by her mentor, Mary Jonas buckled down in school to improve her grades. “I’m proud of myself. My future dream is to become a midwife. I want to be able to help women give birth safely.”

Mentorship unlocks a world of possibilities, and Mary Jonas' growth is evidence of that. She attends mentorship sessions with our partner GLAMI - Girls Livelihood and Mentorship Initiative . Only 39% of girls in Tanzania go to secondary school. Of those, only two-thirds complete their secondary education, and only 3% go on to university.

With support from you and She’s the First, GLAMI is working to change those outcomes, one girl at a time.

Help girls like Mary Jonas dream, grow, and lead: https://givebutter.com/girlsfirst

“I’m the first lawyer in my family, and I’m driven by a desire to pave new paths and create opportunities that have never been available to us before.” – Sangita, 26

Sangita is a graduate of The Small World in Nepal, a She’s the First partner that empowers girls through education and mentorship.

Now, Sangita dreams of becoming a government officer, working towards “creating fair and effective policies” and mentoring women from underrepresented communities to pursue careers in law and public service.

The Small World teaches girls like Sangita that they are worthy, their dreams are possible, and their future is their own to choose!

The revolution starts one girl at a time.

Will you donate today to fuel girls’ dreams? https://givebutter.com/girlsfirst

Our 2024 in a snapshot: convening practitioners in Uganda, amplifying voices in Liberia, building girls’ power in Nairobi, launching the Girls First Institute, and witnessing girls speak truth to power at the UN.

From local communities to global stages, these moments remind us of the unstoppable force of girls and their mentors. What was your favorite highlight in 2024? Share below!

Swipe through the graphics to discover more of our team’s favorite moments from 2024!

At our long-time partner Arlington Academy of Hope, Uganda, 17-year-old Mercy’s dreams are nurtured. Her ambitions are resourced, and her curiosity is fed instead of silenced. She is respected, educated, and heard.

"I’m able to express myself freely. I feel loved and protected at AAH because I am listened to. They are always willing to encourage me whenever I feel like giving up. Their love, care, and courage keep me going through the highs and lows."

With your support, She’s the First partners with grassroots organizations like AAH to reach girls like Mercy, who have big dreams but need resources and a safe place to learn to turn those dreams into reality.

Will you make a gift today to give girls like Mercy space to dream? https://givebutter.com/girlsfirst 💛

“I feel loved here." Meet Hulaymatou Jallow, a 17-year-old girl from our partner Starfish International in The Gambia. At Starfish, Hulaymatou's mentors have shown up for her time and time again, offering unwavering support. 💛

Hulaymatou feels free to embrace her true self, something she finds harder to do at home. "At Starfish, I am accepted for who I am and encouraged to express myself without judgment. This environment has taught me how important it is to surround myself with people who uplift and understand me."

Hulaymatou’s dream? To become a journalist and share stories that inspire and create change.

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The Space to Dream Campaign is about ensuring that girls in every community have a safe place to go where they feel loved and empowered to change the world. She’s the First partners with grassroots organizations like Starfish International, training local women leaders on feminist mentorship, reproductive health education, and girls’ rights.

As a result, girls feel loved, respected, and worthy. You heard it from Hulamayatou best, no matter how small the contribution, our gifts are valuable and important for creating the world girls everywhere deserve.

Will you give a gift to The Space to Dream campaign to support a future where all girls feel loved like Hulamayatou? givebutter.com/girlsfirst ✨

This Giving Tuesday, Yaneth, a 15-year-old girl from a rural village in the Andes Mountains, entrusted her story to us. Yaneth’s story is one of persistence and hope, and we’re honored to share it with you.

[Watch the final video and hear her dreams in her own words here! https://givebutter.com/GirlsFirst]

With no high school in her village, Yaneth faced a 5-hour walk to the nearest town. Her mother, Mercedes, who is visually impaired, fought tirelessly to ensure Yaneth could access an education—an opportunity she herself did not have. “I want her to finish high school,” Mercedes shared. “My dreams are for my Yaneth.”

Opportunities for girls to leave their villages for school are rare, but Yaneth's family was relieved to finally find Sacred Valley Project, one of She's the First's grassroots partners providing a dormitory to girls who need to live outside their community for school.

Now, Yaneth is thriving—changing not only her future but transforming her family’s lives, too. That's the power of education and feminist mentorship.

Will you give girls access to education, mentorship and life-changing opportunities? Your donation will make a difference. https://givebutter.com/GirlsFirst

Girls can do anything and no one should tell them otherwise. Jyoti, a girl from our partner DEHAT in India, created this artwork showcasing the power of girls! 👩‍⚕️🤝👩‍💼

Every woman and girl deserves to live in a world where safety, dignity, and equality are the norm and not the exception.

At the start of this year, we joined forces with fellow girl-centered organizations to condemn the rise of femicide in Kenya. In our joint statement, we demanded action, justice, and accountability. Yet, as we mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the heartbreaking reality is that femicide cases are on the rise again.

Today, we are resharing our calls to action:

1. Declare femicide a national disaster.
2. Strengthen and enforce laws to protect women and girls.
3. Provide resources for education and prevention.
4. Hold perpetrators accountable through swift justice.

Read our full statement and join the fight: https://shesthefirst.org/news-blog-roll/2024/1/26/joint-statement-girl-centered-organizations-condemn-femicide-in-kenya

On , we honor the power, potential, and rights of every child. This year, the United Nations asks us all to "Listen to the Future" by championing youth as they shape a better world.

If you're a leader at a girls' community-based organization, we have a toolkit to help you Listen to the Future! With our friends and partners at MAIA Impact, we crafted Listening to Girls, a step-by-step guide on how to most effectively use focus groups to integrate girls’ voices into your decisions. Access it for FREE at shesthefirst.org/listentogirls

For girls everywhere, tolerance means ensuring their voices are heard, their rights are upheld, and their dreams are supported. 📢

On this day in 1996, the UN declared November 16th as International Day for Tolerance, inspired by UNESCO's 1995 Declaration of Principles on Tolerance. True tolerance is not about indifference—it’s about respecting and celebrating the diversity that enriches our world. 🌍

Together, let’s create a world where every girl can thrive in communities built on respect, inclusion, and equality. 🤝⚖️

📸: STF Chapters: STF TCNJ | Partner Coalition: GLAMI - Girls Livelihood and Mentorship Initiative | MAIA Impact in Guatemala | DEHAT-Because every child matters | Shequal Foundation in Nepal

Meet Shreya Rao, a high school student who can't leave problems unsolved. On a visit to India when she was 10, she noticed people suffering from foot injuries from their flip-flops—so she came home, researched, and invented a solution! (patent pending!) At 12 years old, she founded her innovative startup Surfsyde, which focuses on health and accessibility solutions.

But that's just one problem Shreya's working on; she's also committed to fighting gender and education inequality. That's why she's a member of our monthly giving community, The Front Row. "I support She's the First in their mission to eradicate gender inequality. Each contribution I make is a step toward bridging the gap girls face every day."

Join Shreya in The Front Row with a monthly gift to empower girls today! givebutter.com/TheFrontRow

Women and girls are powerful leaders. ✨
That's it. That's the post.

🎨 & 🗣️: Rugiatu Jalloh, 15 | Sierra Leone | Project Pikin