We recognize the importance of young women and now the world does too.
On Oct. 11, 2012 the United Nations declared the first ever International Day of the Girl. To celebrate this historic day, the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre is co-hosting ‘Girls Run the World’.
On Friday, Oct. 26, girls are invited to dance, write poetry, make kites, learn choreography and try screen-printing. The full-day event celebrates girls as citizens and as powerful voices of change in our communities. Avalon is providing sexual assault awareness, prevention, empowerment and mobilization to girls aged nine to 18 through this project.
Girls Run the World will be videotaped so girls can share their poetry, their aspirations for the future and their thoughts on being a girl. The footage will be edited into a short video to commemorate the day and to share the girls’ voices.
The event will be held at Dartmouth’s Banook Canoe Club from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., on Oct. 26, a professional development day for students in Halifax Regional Municipality. All self-identified girls and girls groups are invited to participate.
Girls Run the World is in collaboration with Nicole Landry, the author of The Mean Girl Motive. The book is based on Landry’s graduate work with adolescent girls that explores female aggression and bullying behaviour. She has collaborated with various Halifax organizations on youth-focused, girl-specific projects and spearheaded the Girl Talk Video project. Landry is passionate about creating space for girls and young women to express their thoughts, ideas and experiences through photography and video.
For girls outside HRM, compensation may be available to offset travel expenses. Participants can register online, by email or by fax at 902-422-4628. The registration deadline is Oct. 23, but register now to avoid disappointment. Additional information can be found by contacting Nicole Landry at 902-448-2946 or at GirlsRunTheWorld@gmail.com.
Avalon thanks the Canadian Women’s Foundation for their support of our sexual assault youth outreach education project. Support for Nicole Landry’s project comes from the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women.