October 11 is International Day of the Girl Child. I remember when this was first observed not even a decade ago. I was no longer a child myself, but I was happy to see so many people coming together in support of young girls. The movement has always been about empowering, educating, and supporting girls.
I’m a firm believer that when people learn to see women as human beings, there’s no reason not to see everyone as human beings.
These stories below are all told in the eyes of young girls. As a mom of two of them, one of my main drivers in life is to make sure my children are able to express their true selves in a welcoming and nurturing environment. In our little family, that means building a humble library that’s able to capture our world now, and what our world could be.
Picture Books: Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Yosafzai. Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho. Lola Plants a Garden by Anna McQuinn. The Dress and the Girl by Camille Andros. Stella and the Seagull by Georgina Stevens. Agnes’ Place by Marit Larsen. Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o.
Short/illustrated chapter books: Captain Rosalie by Timothee de Fombelle. Dory Fantasmagory Book 1 by Abby Hanlon. Olga Series of Books by Elise Gravel.
Halloween Special: Coraline by Neil Gaiman
I subscribed to Bravery Mag this month and got ourselves some incredible back issues, too. I am a big fan of zines and was subscribed to both Bust and Bitch mags back then. I’m thrilled about having something similar for my kids now!
This year’s International Day of the Girl Child focuses on the digital generation.
Flashback: I started using the Internet when I was 11 years old. My parents gave me free rein on the computer and I received no guidance other than the technical instructions from the person who set up our Internet connection. He was a guy who taught me how to access chatrooms. That was really not okay.
But despite all the unsupervised time online, it wasn’t all bad. I remember spending hours daily on a website called gURL.com. Even though it had been American-oriented, I appreciated what I could find relatable. That was really my first foray into feminism.
Before ‘weblog’ was even a word, many girls around my age started self-publishing in the form of web pages. Those with access were able to procure their own domain names and serve as hosts to other people who would rather stay out of commercial or free web hosts. This is an online culture that’s quite fundamental to my being and it’s pretty much, hilariously, what I’m still doing as I type this.
Girls like myself had our space in a virtual world that would later become a cesspool of misogyny, bullying, and other forms of bigotry. As the 2000s rolled in, it just became harder for one to maintain a blog in that same way without attracting stalkers or bullies. That and growing up (plus affiliate blogging, and advertising.) The terrain changed and I hate myself for saying “terrain.”
Today nearly 3 decades later, the Internet is really no safer for children. My own kids’ interface with the www is filtered, limited, and always monitored. This is why I also completely checked in to offline homeschooling. I often tell people that there’s nothing online that my kids won’t find in books, but the truth is I am just deathly afraid of predators.
I can’t say when I’ll get comfortable letting my children roam free around these spaces. Things are becoming harder to filter and I only really find it bearable because I am armed with the browser tools and a wealth of experience when it comes to knowing what NOT to click. Many kids today whose families have Internet access are pretty much born into a world of ads. I feel like there is no greater gift to give young girls than a positive experience of the Internet.
Many of us don’t know a life without an Internet connection, but there are billions of children with no access at all. This sets them up poorly for a world that continues to move digitally. And with the pandemic seeping into our lives last year, those without Internet access have not been able to keep up with their education. This means that in some communities, young girls will be forced to take on domestic roles that are unpaid. There’s also a greater chance of losing part of their childhood due to early pregnancy and childrearing.
Read more on International Day of the Girl 2021 and learn about the ways by which we can help.
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