“You see a girl. We see the future.”

The Girl Up Foundation’s Girlafesto ends with these two statements. Girl Up is a United Nations foundation dedicated to empowering young women all over the world. This year, Girl Up and UN Women are celebrating on Oct. 11, the official International Day of the Girl. Since 2012, United Nations has marked the day as one to raise awareness of the lack of opportunities of girls across the globe.

Many Westwood students feel fortunate to live in a first-world country and to be exposed to many opportunities, even if they are girls.

“I’d say being a girl in the US, especially in Austin, we are privileged,” Pooja Enagala ‘19 said. “We don’t experience discrimination like other women do.”

However, sexism still exists, even if it is the smallest of ways, Enagala said.

“We still experience sexism, whether it be underestimating potential,” she said, “or being put into classifications, such as what we should do and what we shouldn’t.”

To Enagala, these inequalities are what make feminism more relevant than ever. Especially being a minority girl within the United States, she feels more connected to girls experiencing lack of opportunity and discrimination across the globe.

“I think especially since my parents are immigrants, there was a chance that they could’ve stayed in India, and I could’ve been born there,” she said. “In places across the world where I see gender discrimination on a larger scale, and to think that I could be in that situation; it makes me thankful and makes me want to take action.”

This year’s theme for International Day of the Girl is “Girls’ Progress = Goals’ Progress: A Global Girl Data Movement.” It emphasizes collecting girl-oriented data to directly address issues highlighted by accurate numbers. One of the biggest issues is child marriage, as one in three girls living in developed countries will get married before the age of 18. Early marriage severely limits hopes for education and often increases vulnerability for sexual violence.

Athena Hoang ‘19 believes International Day of the Girl raises awareness about issues that everyone might not know about.

“It brings light to issues about how many different types of girls there are,” she said.  

Even for Andrew Stevens ‘20, a boy, feminism is important.

“It’s important to me in the sense that I want everyone to be equal and happy,” he said.

There are many ways for teen girls in the United States to combat this inequity and fight for greater equality. Visit www.girlup.org for more information or join Westwood’s very own Girl Up club, which meets the first Wednesday of the month in E1311. Apply to be an Action Team leader at www.dayofthegirl.org or create a fundraiser for the Girl Up Foundation.

“Because while we are strong, together we are stronger. And together, our voices will change the world.”