A 12-Year-Old Girl

A 12-year-old girl can.
She can still imagine whole new worlds out of something as mundane as neighborhood construction, or she can build a catapult in science class.

She can be silly and carefree, but she can also be troubled by injustices in the world.
She can exude the charms of a little girl one minute and the wisdom of a woman the next.

But she must be encouraged. She must be loved.

A 12-year-old girl has to be told she can.
A 12-year-old girl has to be told she is worth something.
A 12-year-old girl needs to be reassured of her unique beauty and value as a person.
A 12-year-old girl needs her family to stand behind her and encourage her to reach her goals.

But a 12-year-old girl, from America to Algeria, is told too many messages, and they all conflict.

At 12, a girl is tempted to turn outdoor exploring into indoor mirror-staring.
At 12, a girl begins to see her body as an object of eyes, rather than a God-created vessel with hands and feet.
At 12, a girl's dreams begin to shatter as she is told what society expects of her and realizes she does not measure up.
At 12, a girl is discouraged from pursuing a better world so that she can pursue the favor of peers, of eyes.
At 12, a girl doesn't know who to listen to because everyone seems to have different ideas of who she should be.

And at 12 in some places, she doesn't even have a choice of which voice to listen to.

She may be forced out of school.
She may be forced to marry.
She may be abused by someone she never chose.

But if we,
for the sake of the 12-year-old girl we once were,
for the sake of the 12-year-old girls we know,
for the sake of the 12-year-old girls around the world who we would love as sisters if only we knew them,

if we invest in them, nurture them, applaud them, encourage them, become their voices,

they will reinvest 90% into their homes, pulling entire families and even villages out of illiteracy, malnutrition, and poverty.
they will live longer for every 1 year of primary school they are able to attend
they will be able to have children when they are physically and emotionally ready, and childbirth will no longer be the #1 cause of death for teenage girls in the developing world.

But we have to choose to start the Girl Effect.
The clock is ticking.






If you also believe in the impact a 12-year-old girl can have on her family, community, and country, please spread the message about the Girl Effect on your blog, Twitter, or any other means. To see posts from other people who believe in the Girl Effect, go to this page: http://www.taramohr.com/girleffectposts/