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Sultana Tafadar KC and daughter Safiyah have co-founded Girls Human Rights Hub to help girls develop the essential advocacy, leadership and litigation skills to advance gender equity and eradicate gender-based violence
Launched in 2023 with the ‘One in a Million Campaign’, Girls Human Rights Hub (GHRH) wants to unite a global community of a million girls to fight for gender equality and to eradicate gender-based violence. We encourage girls to be that one in a million!
The global statistics are stark. Around the world, about 129 million girls are out of school; 736 million women and girls (that is 1 in 3) have been subjected to sexual and physical violence; around 650 million women (alive today) were married before the age of 18; over 200 million women and girls in 30 countries have undergone female genital mutilation; around 500 million women and girls do not have access to sanitary products and hygienic facilities; and 71% of all human trafficking involves women and girls, mainly for sexual exploitation.
The magnitude and impact of discrimination and violence on girls is often overlooked – girls’ human rights are seen as a subset of women’s rights or children’s rights. However, the impact is often even more dire for girls who suffer a unique multitude of issues. Because of their age, their increased vulnerability, and the effect of social and cultural norms, girls often lack of any kind of agency and are excluded from decision-making processes that affect their lives. These, and other factors, create conditions that facilitate the violations of girls’ human rights.
Together with my 11-year old daughter Safiyah, I founded GHRH to champion the belief that every girl should be the architect of their own futures, and that they are entitled to live a life free from discrimination and violence. After two years of developing the project, we launched on 23 June 2023, with press coverage reaching a staggering audience size of 379 million. It was clear that our mission struck a chord and the support has been immense.
GHRH has been a labour of love. I want my daughter to grow up in a world where she will not have to experience discrimination or violence. I want her to grow up with a skillset that would enable her to fight for her rights. I want her to use those skills to fight for the rights of those that cannot fight for their own rights. What I want for my girl is what I want for every girl. And so the idea of GHRH was born.
It’s a vision shared by Safiyah, a frustrated, aspiring human rights lawyer who wants to ‘change the world’. With a keen interest in history, politics, and travel, she had learnt about, and been inspired by, an array of figures ranging from Martin Luther King Jnr and the US Civil Rights Movement; Mahatma Gandhi and the struggle against colonialism; Malala Yousafzai’s fight for the right to education; and Greta Thunberg’s fight for climate justice. GHRH was created so that all girls, like Safiyah, did not have to wait.
GHRH offers a safe and nurturing platform where girls can develop essential advocacy, leadership, and litigation skills to advance gender equity and eradicate gender-based violence. We are dedicated to empowering girls to become effective advocates for their own rights and those of their peers, addressing issues affecting them at the local, national, and global levels. The GHRH movement is inclusive, welcoming all girls and women aged 11-24 years onto its programmes.
GHRH delivers its work through four hubs:
GHRH’s flagship event, the Girls’ Human Rights Festival, takes place over five days, in February 2024. It strives to bring girls’ human rights to the forefront of global conversations, inspiring meaningful action and fostering connections among individuals and organisations committed to advancing the rights and wellbeing of girls worldwide. It is truly unique and innovative, with a global reach whereby girls will have the opportunity to participate in person and online.
This festival serves as a powerful platform for advocacy, empowerment and change. From the Advocacy Bootcamp to the Leadership Summit and Young Lawyers’ Symposium, participants have the opportunity to learn from experts, exchange ideas and strategise for the future. Each day is packed with insightful plenary sessions, panel discussions, practical skill-building workshops and valuable networking opportunities, creating an environment where knowledge is shared and collaboration thrives. It encourages attendees to embrace their roles as advocates, leaders and legal professionals, equipping them with the tools and knowledge to make a meaningful impact in the field of girls’ human rights.
The Girls’ Human Rights Festival is more than just an event; it’s a catalyst for change, a call to action and a celebration of progress towards a brighter and more equitable future for all girls.
GHRH is supported by a network of individual and corporate philanthropists and skillanthropists with whom GHRH aims to create a world where every girl can understand and assert her rights, where every girl matters, where gender inequality and violence are eradicated. A world where every girl, like Safiyah, is given the power to change the world.
Sultana Tafadar KC is a human rights, international law, and criminal justice barrister with a passion for promoting equality and justice. She has extensive experience in advising States, NGOs, individuals, and large multinational corporations. Sultana's unique expertise in counter terrorism and national security cases spans across the Criminal Courts, Coronial Courts, Administrative and Family Divisions of the High Court and the Appellate Courts.
Launched in 2023 with the ‘One in a Million Campaign’, Girls Human Rights Hub (GHRH) wants to unite a global community of a million girls to fight for gender equality and to eradicate gender-based violence. We encourage girls to be that one in a million!
The global statistics are stark. Around the world, about 129 million girls are out of school; 736 million women and girls (that is 1 in 3) have been subjected to sexual and physical violence; around 650 million women (alive today) were married before the age of 18; over 200 million women and girls in 30 countries have undergone female genital mutilation; around 500 million women and girls do not have access to sanitary products and hygienic facilities; and 71% of all human trafficking involves women and girls, mainly for sexual exploitation.
The magnitude and impact of discrimination and violence on girls is often overlooked – girls’ human rights are seen as a subset of women’s rights or children’s rights. However, the impact is often even more dire for girls who suffer a unique multitude of issues. Because of their age, their increased vulnerability, and the effect of social and cultural norms, girls often lack of any kind of agency and are excluded from decision-making processes that affect their lives. These, and other factors, create conditions that facilitate the violations of girls’ human rights.
Together with my 11-year old daughter Safiyah, I founded GHRH to champion the belief that every girl should be the architect of their own futures, and that they are entitled to live a life free from discrimination and violence. After two years of developing the project, we launched on 23 June 2023, with press coverage reaching a staggering audience size of 379 million. It was clear that our mission struck a chord and the support has been immense.
GHRH has been a labour of love. I want my daughter to grow up in a world where she will not have to experience discrimination or violence. I want her to grow up with a skillset that would enable her to fight for her rights. I want her to use those skills to fight for the rights of those that cannot fight for their own rights. What I want for my girl is what I want for every girl. And so the idea of GHRH was born.
It’s a vision shared by Safiyah, a frustrated, aspiring human rights lawyer who wants to ‘change the world’. With a keen interest in history, politics, and travel, she had learnt about, and been inspired by, an array of figures ranging from Martin Luther King Jnr and the US Civil Rights Movement; Mahatma Gandhi and the struggle against colonialism; Malala Yousafzai’s fight for the right to education; and Greta Thunberg’s fight for climate justice. GHRH was created so that all girls, like Safiyah, did not have to wait.
GHRH offers a safe and nurturing platform where girls can develop essential advocacy, leadership, and litigation skills to advance gender equity and eradicate gender-based violence. We are dedicated to empowering girls to become effective advocates for their own rights and those of their peers, addressing issues affecting them at the local, national, and global levels. The GHRH movement is inclusive, welcoming all girls and women aged 11-24 years onto its programmes.
GHRH delivers its work through four hubs:
GHRH’s flagship event, the Girls’ Human Rights Festival, takes place over five days, in February 2024. It strives to bring girls’ human rights to the forefront of global conversations, inspiring meaningful action and fostering connections among individuals and organisations committed to advancing the rights and wellbeing of girls worldwide. It is truly unique and innovative, with a global reach whereby girls will have the opportunity to participate in person and online.
This festival serves as a powerful platform for advocacy, empowerment and change. From the Advocacy Bootcamp to the Leadership Summit and Young Lawyers’ Symposium, participants have the opportunity to learn from experts, exchange ideas and strategise for the future. Each day is packed with insightful plenary sessions, panel discussions, practical skill-building workshops and valuable networking opportunities, creating an environment where knowledge is shared and collaboration thrives. It encourages attendees to embrace their roles as advocates, leaders and legal professionals, equipping them with the tools and knowledge to make a meaningful impact in the field of girls’ human rights.
The Girls’ Human Rights Festival is more than just an event; it’s a catalyst for change, a call to action and a celebration of progress towards a brighter and more equitable future for all girls.
GHRH is supported by a network of individual and corporate philanthropists and skillanthropists with whom GHRH aims to create a world where every girl can understand and assert her rights, where every girl matters, where gender inequality and violence are eradicated. A world where every girl, like Safiyah, is given the power to change the world.
Sultana Tafadar KC and daughter Safiyah have co-founded Girls Human Rights Hub to help girls develop the essential advocacy, leadership and litigation skills to advance gender equity and eradicate gender-based violence
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