Plan International USA Announces Launch of 2019 International Day of the Girl Celebration

NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Plan International USA (Plan) announces the launch of its annual International Day of the Girl (IDG) celebration leading up to October 11, 2019. This year, Plan will focus on raising awareness on the importance of equal representation in the media and calling out discrimination and stereotyping to make room for stories of girls' power and achievement.

"Representation matters. Traditional stereotypes reinforced in the media contribute to keeping girls from fulfilling their aspirations," said Tessie San Martin, President and CEO of Plan International USA. "We want to see girls around the world aspire to and ascend to leadership roles in every industry, in every endeavor. It is not helpful when media messaging mindlessly reinforces stereotypes about gender norms and gender roles. How girls are represented in the media matters to tackling gender inequality here and everywhere. We need to do better."

Plan will kick off its IDG celebration in the FQ Lounge @ Advertising Week, a global gathering of marketing and communications leaders, where Fatima Jerez, one of Plan's Youth Advisory Board (YAB) members will participate in a panel discussion on the importance of equal representation for girls. Fatima will be joined by media industry leaders, including Richard Lui from MSNBC, Mary Ellen Holden from the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, and Shelley Zalis from The Female Quotient.

"While we have made great strides on the equality front, there still is work to be done so the future generation of women in the workplace face less bias," said Shelley Zalis, CEO of The Female Quotient. "As a long-time partner of Plan International USA, we look forward to celebrating and shining light on girls who are making an impact on this special day."

Today also marks the start of Plan's #RewriteHerStory initiative, encouraging thousands of girls, young women, and their allies to take action and rewrite the story of their favorite song, movie or show that portrays a more gender inclusive narrative using Tik Tok, Instagram, and YouTube. Plan is also encouraging communities to speak up for girls in their hometown by submitting a letter to the editor in their local publications.

"We are excited to partner with Plan International to raise awareness on the power of media to dramatically influence identities and change minds through equal and accurate representation," said Mary Ellen Holden, New York Council Lead for the Institute. "Next month, at the Girls Get Equal Live Summit 2019 in Stockholm, we will unveil results from our new global study with Plan International that focuses specifically on the portrayal of women in leadership positions in film. Our research analytic tools provide global leading content creators with interventions to support their Diversity and Inclusion content strategies. Girls will see how small changes in storytelling inspire big changes in the real-world."

Plan will continue its tradition of taking part in the IDG global movement to bring focus for action on girls' rights and celebrate the power of girls through its signature Girl Takeovers. Every year on October 11, Plan youth advocates across 60 countries, take over important leadership roles. In 2018, more than 1,000 Takeovers were organized and run directly by Plan offices in honor of IDG. Plan will continue to empower youth in the U.S. to smash gender stereotypes by stepping into roles of leadership in the media and entertainment industry.

Throughout the next few weeks, girls will take over the roles of leaders in business, and civil society to engage in transformative conversations about gender equality and women's empowerment. For the first time this year, a member of the U.S. government, Representative David Cicilline from Rhode Island, a House Democratic Leader and a big champion of gender equality, will participate by hosting a girl in a takeover.

Plan will host nearly a dozen Takeovers, including with:

• Victoria Dummer, Head of Current Series Programming, ABC Network
• Shelley Zalis, CEO, The Female Quotient
• Tessie San Martin, President and CEO, Plan International USA
• Representative David Cicilline, Rhode Island, U.S. House of Representatives

"Through my involvement in Takeovers with Plan, not only have I gained insight on how to lead a top company, but I have also expanded my network by meeting incredible women executives that are changing stereotypes," said Fatima Jerez, Youth Advisory Board Member for Plan and student at William & Mary. "Most importantly, I have grown confident in my own leadership abilities and am now empowered and assured that I can be whoever I want to be."

In 2012, the United Nations designated October 11 as International Day of the Girl. It is a global day of action for Plan and its partners to support gender equality, amplify girls' voices, and show that girls belong in leadership roles.

Visit our website at www.planusa.org for more information.

About Plan International USA
Plan International USA is an independent development and humanitarian organization that advances children's rights and equality for girls. Plan believes in the power and potential of young people. Working together with children, young people, supporters, and partners, Plan strives for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

For more information, please visit PlanUSA.org.

SOURCE Plan International USA

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