Watch this video, I dare you!

Try not to be moved, appalled, angry, sad, curious. Try not to have any emotion at all after watching the video.

Can’t do it, can you? If you are reading this post on Club ChicaCircle, there is a strong chance that you are a female. And you know females are emotional. We lead with our hearts, our intuition, our feelings. We make decisions based on emotion sometimes over facts.

Here are some staggering facts that certainly make me have an emotional reaction:

• Today, more than 600 million girls live in the developing world.
• The total global population of girls ages 10 to 24 —already the largest in history — is expected to peak in the next decade.
• Approximately one-quarter of girls in developing countries are not in school.
• Out of the world’s 130 million out-of-school youth, 70 percent are girls.

Here is the ripple effect of investing in a girl:

• When a girl in the developing world receives seven or more years of education, she marries four years later and has 2.2
• fewer children.
• An extra year of primary school boosts girls’ eventual wages by 10 to 20 percent. An extra year of secondary school: 15 to 25 percent.
• Research in developing countries has shown a consistent relationship between better infant and child health and higher
• levels of schooling among mothers.
• When women and girls earn income, they reinvest 90 percent of it into their families, as compared to only 30 to 40 percent for a man.

The Dalai Lama said something at the Vancouver Peace Summit 2009. He said, ” The world would be saved by the western woman.” I totally see how that could happen.

My tween daughter doesn’t need to worry about getting married by 14, as I’m sure yours doesn’t either. We are blessed that she has the opportunity to attend a really good public school in our area. I am thankful that she not only talks about college, but understands that she gets the choice of where she wants to go and what she might want to study. She knows that she needs work hard to get into a college, but I like that she is aware of schools like RISD because she loves art and design or Stanford because it is close to her best friend and cousin. We have time to discuss further with her what it takes to get into college, but the seed has been planted and in her mind these are choices to be made about her future.

In contrast, many girls her age in developing countries have many, many different choices – or in some cases, no choice in the direction her life takes. This is what the Girl Effect is all about – giving the choice back to the girl and changing the course of history. This is where the western woman and her daughters can help make a difference!

We can start our own ripple effect! We can educate our girls on how to give back. We teach them about charity and compassion and about what it means to ‘pay it forward’. On our site, we like to share stories of Inspired Tweens, like Katie of Katie’s Krops or Michala Riggle. There is power in the girl, and every girl can make a difference.

Here is what I am going to do to be a part of the Girl Effect:

1. I have made a choice join Tara Mohr’s Girl Effect blog campaign to blog, along with over 300 other fantastic bloggers, about this issue.
2. I am going to invite as many of my fellow bloggers to join in the campaign. If you have a blog, you can too! I was invited by another fabulous blogger, Heidi Kellenberger from Uncovered Cover Art. Check out her Cover Art Campaign for the Girl Effect.
3. I am going to design a t-shirt to raise awareness, where all of the profits will go back to the Girl Effect. Check back for details. Also, all profits from sales of our GirlPower tee from now until Dec. 31, 2011 will go directly to the Girl Effect.

I want every girl to have the choice and privilege to go to school. For that to happen, awareness and change needs to happen.

Change Starts With A Girl – join me and be a part of the change!

Here is what you can do:

1. Share this post, tweet about it, make some noise and make a difference.
2. Read some of the other posts from fellow bloggers
3. Get involved and give back. If you are in the U.S., text GIRL to 50555 to donate $10 (USD) to the Girl Effect. Disclaimer: charges will appear on your wireless bill, or be deducted from your prepaid balance. All purchases must be authorized by account holder. Message and data rates may apply. Text STOP to 50555 to stop. Text HELP to 50555 for help.
4. Believe in girl power!

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments.

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