Danielle Taylor: Defying Expectations and Encouraging Others to Do the Same

Apr 05, 2021 Posted by: Jill Jha Danielle Taylor,  SDG 5,  SDG3,  SDG4,  USA

Danielle: I grew up in the American south where I was often denied opportunities and protections simply because I was a black girl. People assumed I only had one path in life, which did not include college or professional success. I came to defy those expectations and I wanted to ensure that every black girl had the support she needed to design the future of her choosing. This is why I have spent my career ensuring that every person, especially vulnerable children, live dignified lives where they are able to live to their fullest potential without the pain, discrimination, and oppression of sexist and/or racist beliefs and behaviors.

Djénéba Gory: How Negotiation Can Impact Girls' Education and Aspirations

Mar 19, 2021 Posted by: Jill Jha Africa,  Djénéba Gory,  Mali,  SDG 4,  SDG 5,  USA

Djénéba: We’re empowering girls in developing countries by teaching them how to be rock-star negotiators. In 2018, a whopping 66% of Malian high-school-age girls were out of school. The fertility rate of teenage girls 15-19 years old was the fourth highest in the world. Sadly, these numbers are predicted to increase again with COVID19. Suadela aims to change this! For teenage girls who are not empowered to make important decisions in their lives, we offer negotiation training, delivered by trained educated women. The program started in Mali and is designed to scale across other African countries.

Jamie Mittelman: Lighting the Torch for 2021’s Female Olympic and Paralympic Athletes

Feb 02, 2021 Posted by: Jill Jha Jamie Mittelman,  SDG 5,  SDG10,  USA

Jamie: It is fierce, Spiffy! According to the Women’s Sports Foundation’s 2020 Chasing Equity report, just 3.2% of sports media coverage in the U.S. is devoted to women’s sports. That number is even lower globally. Even at the highest levels of sports, women athletes don’t receive the media attention they deserve. This lack of representation makes it nearly impossible for younger girls to see their future selves in someone who doesn’t ‘exist’ today. And if you’re a woman athlete whose looks, experiences, or attitudes strays from the socially accepted model, you’ll struggle even more to secure media attention and sponsorships.