Female politicians from Europe to Australia and New Zealand, Asia, as well as Africa and Central America showed to young girls that woman’s place is in politics. To celebrate the International Day of the Girl (IDG) 2019, Women Political Leaders (WPL) connected accomplished female politicians with #Girl2Leader young girls. The initiative, running on social media, rallied the support of many Leaders who shared the political experiences.
“The political system is a male-dominated environment which does not make it easy for women. If experience is the best teacher, testimonies of female political leaders from around the world can inspire the next generation of female leaders. Every woman leader was once a little girl, with dreams and ambitions. Role models can be crucial when becoming a politician. WPL #Girl2Leader’s International Day of the Girl can serve as a stepping stone for future female politicians.” says Silvana Koch-Mehrin, President & Founder of WPL. This initiative is especially important because of the current underrepresentation of women in politics. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, nearly 80% of the world’s Parliamentarians and more than 80% of Members of Government are men; meanwhile not even 7% of the world’s Heads of Government and Heads of State are women.
The International Day of the Girl Child, celebrated on October 11th, is a worldwide observance day declared by the United Nations. It focuses on structural inequalities faced by girls due to their gender. The focus of WPL is that of political leadership: by connecting experienced women politicians with #Girl2Leader young girls, the initiative can motivate the future generation of political leaders.
