By Research Associate Marvelous Maeze
Priestley Johnson speaking at the 2024 Girl Up USA Leadership Summit
RepresentWomen is committed to increasing the representation of women at all levels of government, recognizing that the seeds of these aspirations are often planted in childhood. To honor International Day of the Girl, I had the opportunity to interview Priestley Johnson, the Director of Girl Up USA at the United Nations Foundation. Girl Up is a dynamic leadership development initiative that empowers girls, promoting equity and amplifying their voices in spaces where they are often unheard or underrepresented. Through their innovative programs, Girl Up nurtures the next generation of female leaders, equipping them with the skills, confidence, and resources they need to drive change in their communities and beyond. This interview sheds light on the vital work being done to uplift girls and foster a more equitable future
Marvelous: What is the significance of the International Day of the Girl, and how does it align with the broader goals of Girl Up?
Priestley: International Day of the Girl (IDG) is a day for the world to acknowledge the strength of girls’ voices and celebrate their remarkable achievements. It also serves as a day to confront the challenges that girls all over the world may encounter, whether that be poverty, gender inequality, limited access to education, or healthcare. At Girl Up, International Day of the Girl extends far beyond a single day of recognition — every day is the Day of the Girl. We believe that when girls rise, they become a catalyst for real, lasting change. Our goal is for girls to know and believe that they can rewrite the story of their lives and transform the world around them.
Girl Up is a girl-centered leadership development initiative focusing on equity for girls and women in spaces where they are unheard of or underrepresented. In 2010, Girl Up was founded by the United Nations Foundation (UNF) as the first-of-its-kind initiative dedicated to supporting adolescent girls’ education, health, and safety. Since then, we’ve become a global movement that engages, trains, and mobilizes girls and young people of all identities to be leaders. Girl Up is dedicated to equipping 13-24-year-old girls with the tools, skills, and resources they need to take action for what they believe in.
Marvelous: Can you share some of the key initiatives or campaigns that Girl Up USA is focusing on this year in relation to the International Day of the Girl?
Priestley: Each campaign we participate in celebrates girls and empowers them to rise, claim their space, and take action that creates change. Our most recent campaign, "Her Voice, Her Vote," speaks directly to the spirit of International Day of the Girl. This initiative serves as a reminder that girls can shape their futures and change the world around them, no matter their age, class, ethnicity, or whatever barriers society has in place. This year, 75 girls stepped up to lead nationwide voter registration drives. Their action has already driven over 1.3k clicks to our voter registration link, resulting in more than 250 voter registrations. These leaders are now equipped to share their stories, help their communities amplify their power, and start their political journeys because it is #HerVoiceHerVote.
Over 11 million tons of plastic enter the ocean annually, a number that is expected to triple by 2040 if we don't act now! Girl Up USA leaders believe that working together is the only way to tackle this critical issue effectively. In recognition of Earth Day 2024, our Heal Our Planet campaign, brought together girls from Arizona to Hawaii to organize 20 shoreline cleanups nationwide, collecting about 665 pounds of trash from our shorelines. This is just the beginning of our fight against plastic pollution.
Across all of our campaigns, girls start with a vision and make it a reality, using data to understand its context, and the drive to accomplish significant collective action. It is an incredible privilege to witness the impact these changemakers are making. And that's how it should be; the world must come together to celebrate our accomplishments and fight for gender justice. It's only through our collective efforts that we can ensure that all girls can make their voices heard and drive real change.
Marvelous: How does Girl Up engage young girls globally to participate in the International Day of the Girl?
Priestley: From being invited to the White House to hosting an International Day of the Girl party, below are ways our global network of regional affiliates, which includes 315,000 girls and youth leaders in 155 countries and all 50 U.S. states, have taken action in the past:
Nearly 400 girls attended Girl Empowerment Initiative, a Girl Up Zimbabwe event in Gweru aimed at improving and providing resources for all aspects of girls’ well-being – physical, emotional, social, and spiritual. Participants came out of the event feeling bold and had more knowledge of menstrual hygiene and gender-based violence.
Girl Up India hosted its Regional Leadership Summit, which was designed to promote leadership skills in young girls and women so that they could fight for what they believe in. In addition to connecting to and learning from other youth advocates, attendees heard from actress, producer, and UN Secretary General’s Advocate for SDGs Dia Mirza, Miss Universe 2021 Harnaaz Sandhu, UN Resident Coordinator for India Shombi Sharp, and more.
Girl Up Brasil hosted its annual #SuperMeninas event, which invites girls and young women from the region to learn, network, and empower each other. Three distinct themes were explored this year: STEM, mental health, and women in politics. Attendees heard from Brazilian politician and activist Erika Hilton, State Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo Marina Helou, activist and producer Dandara Pagu, and more inspiring changemakers during the event.
Girl Up México toured Museo del Futuro with youth leaders during an unforgettable evening rooted in creativity and gender justice. After the museum tour, they hosted an educational and networking event for youth activists to gain leadership skills, learn about careers in STEAM, and connect with members of the Girl Up community. Juntas Somos Más Fuertes!
Girl Up UK hosted a Leadership Summit to support and build leadership skills for girls to raise their voices around the world. Participants had the opportunity to hear from leaders in the sports, climate, and storytelling spaces to discover how to connect these issues to their own gender justice work.
The 2024 Girl Up USA Leadership Summit was hosted for the first time in Los Angeles, California, this past June. It brought together over 100 girls and youth advocates to harness their power for change! The focus was on promoting the balance of mental wellness, celebrating wins in gender equity, telling our stories of impact, and encouraging further activism in our communities and beyond. Exciting speakers like: Former Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava, Communications Director of Tampax Lauren Worley and United States Senator Laphonza Butler… and so many more! The USA Leadership Summit explored democracy, storytelling, financial empowerment, and women’s health among other topics pertinent to today’s youth!
Marvelous: What role do you believe education plays in empowering girls, and how does this theme resonate on the International Day of the Girl?
Priestley: Knowledge is Power! My number one job in this role is to listen to the girls nationwide and then create experiences to bridge the gaps and stimulate impact. The goal is to form dynamic changemakers that collect information and take decisive action. By grounding leaders in facts, they can raise awareness on pressing issues such as gender equity in STEM and sports, civic participation and engagement, sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice (SRHRJ), and so much more. It is important to remember that education can come in so many different forms, some tactics we explore are featuring Did You Know Post on social media, grounding the “why” of our programming in data, allowing girls to share their researched passions with their peers on our community platform, and creating events like our yearly Girl Up USA Leadership Summit with experiences that resonate even more.
Girl Up is an international youth leadership development organization encouraging girls to have a global mindset in the movement for gender justice. The reality is that youth around the globe are facing similar issues, yet they are experiencing and tackling them in different ways. No matter where they are in the world, they don’t care to wait until adults get enough time to solve their problems. Encouraging a global mindset around these issues allows our leaders to be aware of and adaptable to different cultures, perspectives, and expectations. This exposure prepares them to show up as better champions for each other, deepen international connections and understanding, and, ultimately, increase their impact on advancing gender justice globally. Days like International Day of the Girl focus the world on what the next generation needs; and it is days like this that we can show the world what they are capable of.
Marvelous: What are some of the biggest challenges that girls face today, and how does Girl Up address these on this day?
Priestley: In a post-COVID world where technology interactions have increased isolation, many girls teeter between isolation and the pressure to perform.
The best two qualities of this generation of Girl Up leaders are: 1.) They Care, and 2.) They want to accomplish a lot. America’s youth are at the center of advocating for meaningful social change, and Girl Up USA is here to scale their impact. Most importantly, we are here to create community, nationally and globally, increasing collaborative power.
Sisterhood among women has the powerful legacy of driving social change, amplifying voices, and fostering resilience. Figures like Coretta Scott King and Rosa Parks, along with organizations such as the National Council of Negro Women, created networks of support to fight for racial equality and justice during the Civil Rights Movement. Founded by Tarana Burke, the #MeToo Movement showcased how women could unite to confront sexual harassment and assault, foster solidarity, and heal. The Women’s March was a global movement that united women and demonstrated the immense power of collective action. And, Black Girl Magic is a cultural movement celebrating the achievements of Black women, countering a narrative that, not only, we should not be overlooked, but that, in fact, we are Magic.
Community is Girl Up’s superpower. After 13 years of growing Girl Up’s global community of changemakers, its reach continues to rise, fostering support, understanding, and authenticity to girls everywhere. Our Girl Up leaders resist isolation to shape the movements that will determine our collective future.
Marvelous: How can young people and supporters around the world get involved in the International Day of the Girl and support Girl Up’s mission?
Priestley: International Day of the Girl (IDG) is more than just a day of acknowledgment, it’s a pivotal moment to invest in the long-term sustainability of organizations like ours.
As we navigate an increasingly tough philanthropic landscape, with resources for gender equity work shrinking, IDG serves as a powerful call to action. This day isn't only about celebrating impact; it’s about securing the future of the work we do and ensuring that girls and youth-led organizations are supported in the face of these global crises. Giving to women and girls’ organizations in 2021 exceeded $10 billion for the first time. However, that number still represents less than 2% of overall charitable giving, according to the Women & Girls Index 2024, championed by the Women Philanthropy Institute. Support from readers today helps sustain Girl Up’s mission, allowing us to continue investing in tomorrow’s leaders during a time when such investment is more necessary—and more fragile—than ever.
Amidst a shifting funding landscape, we urge supporters to see this day as both a celebration and a moment to stand with us. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate support for our youth leaders, for gender equity, and for the ongoing fight to ensure that girls have the resources, platforms, and leadership opportunities they need to thrive.
If you’re ready to get involved, young people and supporters around the world can power up and unite for girls by joining our International Day of the Girl campaign. Head to https://bit.ly/GirlUpIDG2024 to join us in this global movement and help fuel the future of girls' leadership and empowerment. Together, we’re unstoppable!
Marvelous: What personal experiences or motivations drive your passion for advocating for girls’ rights and gender equality?
Priestley: When I was young, I was a very strong-willed girl. I was the type to tell my parents exactly what I wanted to do, whether volunteering for a political campaign, joining a sport, or volunteering. I am grateful for their ability to say yes to me, especially during those formidable years. I understand that feeling of, dang, I wish there was another girl out there who wanted to conquer the world and have a good time, like me! The girls at Girl Up have that same strong-willed spirit about them and are looking for ways to make a difference. On my path, I ran into people and experiences that tried to discourage that spirit, but nevertheless, I persisted. I see too many people lose the strength to persist, and their potential to change the world stops in that resistance. But within each of us lies the power to break through those moments of doubt and impact the world around us.
In this role as Director of Girl Up USA, I get to inspire girls to seize opportunities, to get a yes, and to develop the tools they need for that yes to be a success. My life's work is championing what is possible when dedicated, capable, and mission-driven people directly impact one person's life and how it can change their family, shape their community, and create a legacy of change. And this is especially true of young women and girls today.
Conclusion:
International Day of the Girl reminds us that the journey of empowering girls is ongoing, not merely a one-day event. Organizations like Girl Up showcase the remarkable strength, resilience, and potential of young women poised to lead and inspire change. As we celebrate their achievements worldwide, we must also confront the barriers that hinder their progress and commit to dismantling these obstacles. The passion and determination of today’s youth leaders are transforming our future; together, we can ensure that every girl understands her voice is powerful and that she holds the key to her own destiny. Now is the time for action—let’s support, amplify, and invest in girls' leadership, creating a world where their dreams are not just acknowledged but fully realized.