Girls in Global

🎉 Big news! Girls in Global is rebranding! 🎉 Dear Girls In Global Community, What a journey it's been! Over the past year, we've grown and evolved, learning more about how to uplift and represent our incredible community of women and gender-diverse individuals. Julia Accardo and Harleen Minocha embarked on this mission with the dream of creating a space where voices could be amplified for causes close to their hearts—and yours. Thanks to the incredible support from all 9,000 of you and our 90+ passionate volunteers from around the globe, we've made strides in bringing this vision to life. But we're not stopping here. In the coming year, we're expanding our vision, and we're thrilled to announce that a fresh, bold new look for Girls In Global is on the horizon! This rebrand isn’t just a facelift; it’s a deeper commitment to empowering women, girls, and gender-diverse people to become the leaders of tomorrow and to push forward the ideas of gender mainstreaming and creating a feminist world. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue this exciting journey. 🌍✨ #GirlsInGlobal #Rebrand #Announcement #Gendermainstreaming #FeminisminIR ALT text: Graphic promoting the rebranding of 'Girls in Global.' The text reads: 'Girls in Global is rebranding. New core team appointments. New ambassador applications. Join our refined purpose and mission!' Below the text, there are two animated figures in shades of purple, raising their fists in a gesture of empowerment. The social media handle '@girlsinglobalorg' is displayed at the bottom.

Never too late to begin relearning and unlearning. Running Girls in Global has been a great learning curve over the past year. In stepping back over the past few months, we have prepared ourselves to correct some mistakes, and find new and better ways of leading a feminist organisation. This book by Nick Grono, although I have just about started reading, is already so intriguing and I am so excited to implement these ideas practically with our team. Stay tuned for bigger and better Girls in Global soon!

The Polish government has successfully passed a new amendment to its penal code, changing the definition of rape after over 100 years. The old definition considers an act rape only when sexual intercourse occurs through violence, unlawful threat, or deception, punishable by 2 to 12 years of imprisonment. The new legislation defines rape as any sexual intercourse without consent, recognizing the absence of the victim's conscious and voluntary consent, rather than visible resistance, as the determinant of whether rape has occurred. This is a significant step towards eradicating gender violence, not only because it allows holding more violators responsible, but also because it may spark a change in Polish societal mentality towards sexual abuse and what it constitutes. The introduction of the new definition has stirred some emotions, especially among the right-wing party. Some politicians argued that the new definition opens possibilities for "vindictive women" to abuse and falsely accuse men. Despite these sexist and unsupported comments, the significant majority of the government voted for the legislative change. However, before the new definition comes into practice, the relevant institutions will have a year to prepare for its effective implementation. Once the definition is changed, the left-wing government is also considering the next step of raising the minimum penalty for rape from 2 to 3 years. Looking at the broader context of the EU, the legal definition of rape has been under discussion for a while. "The traditional approach to defining rape in national legislation in the EU has been based on the assumption of violence, threats, or the victim's incapacity to resist aggression," states the European Commission. However, since 2014, with the creation of the Istanbul Convention (The Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence), the majority of EU states have changed or adjusted their legal definitions of sexual violence to include lack of consent as grounds for rape, meeting the standards set by the convention. Until now, Poland has not been one of them, despite strong feminist movements indicating the need for a revised definition and a change in the minimum penalty. This legislative change would finally enable Poland to meet international standards and hopefully help to address the high rates of gender-based violence in the country. Countries that are signatories to the convention and still hold onto the old definition include Estonia, France, Italy, and Romania. 👇🏻 More in the comments 👇🏻

✊🏼 The International Day of Women in Diplomacy serves as a poignant reminder of the essential roles that women play in shaping global policies and fostering peace. Despite achieving gender balance in senior leadership positions at the United Nations for the first time in its history in 2020, women remain underrepresented in diplomatic levels, holding only 20% of permanent missions to the UN in New York and 35% in Geneva. This disparity highlights the necessity of a concerted effort to elevate more women into these critical roles. ☮️ The significance of women in diplomacy cannot be overstated. A diplomacy without the influence of women is less representative, less effective, and less innovative. Women bring unique perspectives and creativity that are indispensable in addressing the complex challenges of the modern world. Historical figures such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Mary Robinson, and Louise Harbour have demonstrated the profound impact women can have in shaping international norms. However, the path for women in diplomacy is fraught with obstacles, including cultural biases, political barriers, and the unequal distribution of caregiving responsibilities. These challenges necessitate active measures to support and recognize the contributions of women diplomats. Promoting gender equality and parity in diplomacy is not just a matter of fairness but also a strategic imperative. Studies have shown that the involvement of women increases the probability of sustainable peace agreements and enhances the effectiveness of diplomatic negotiations. 📊 Ultimately, the inclusion of women in diplomacy enriches the field, bringing us closer to a world where gender equality is realized not just in principle but in practice. The call to action is clear: We MUST continue to support and elevate women in diplomacy, recognizing their indispensable role in crafting a more secure, just, and peaceful world. 🌐 #GirlsinGlobal #WomenInDiplomacy #GenderEquality #InternationalDayOfWomenInDiplomacy #Diplomacy ✍🏼 Zoé BULENGER Visual design: Ana Luz Sánchez Urbina

It has been a real honor for me to have the opportunity to help shahrbanu haidari in writing this article for NADJA Media. Hopefully, the work we are doing with the #EndGenderApartheid campaign will make it out of the media bubble soon, and make its way to the institutional halls charged with protecting the #humanRights of all women around the world. United Nations, Women7, we are talking to you!

Betty Ngeno is a dear colleague from Girls in Global. Her life has recently been devastated by the severe flooding that has swept through Kenya. Homes, livelihoods, and communities have been destroyed, leaving many like Betty in desperate need of support. Please consider helping my friend here: https://lnkd.in/dKYFSs2h Every contribution, no matter how small, will make a significant difference. If you can't donate, you can still help by sharing this message within your networks. The more people who see this, the greater the impact we can make together. Thank you!

🇪🇺 Your Voice Matters! The European elections are just around the corner! Make sure to cast your vote and shape the future of our continent.

🗳️ 🇮🇳 These elections in India were always supposed to historical and unprecedented, no matter the result. Had it been what was being projected until two days ago, it would have been an unprecedented death of democracy in the coming years. Now, it is being termed historical, not because of those that fought for power, but because of those that fought for the real ideals of the nation. For plurality, for secularism, and an end to hate and populism. The voters, the real kingmakers are the ones that won. Parties, factions, political wings and pundits can analyse the numbers all they want, but the truth is, it doesn't matter. And that's what the people have said with their mandate in India. There is a clear message: One man cannot run a nation, and that majoritarianism will not be the country's big fall. Globally, we can see this sentiment being played out too. Be it with Putin in Russia, Netanyahu in Israel or Modi in India, the public are rejecting their autocracy. Let Indian Elections of 2024 be a resounding message for the world! People power is greater than political power! 🙌 #indianelections #loksabhaelection2024 ✍🏼: Harleen Minocha Graphic design: Ana Luz Sánchez Urbina

💬 Minorities are most definitely a target of Labour politick. A Black woman, Dianne Abbott, a Brown woman Faiza Shaheen, and a gay man Lloyd Russell-Moyle, all long standing, left of centre MPs deselected from running for elections by the party. 🗳️ With the heightened masculinities, and anti-democratic sentiments around the globe this election season, Girls In Global is campaigning for a shift to a more feminist approach to policy and governance. I will be voting for the Women's Equality Party UK this time around. ✍🏼 Harleen Minocha #ukelections #labour #conservatives #womensrights #womeninpolitics

The International Criminal Court has fulfilled its mandate with the chief prosecutor Karim Khan seeking arrest of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Yoav Gallant, along with Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, and Mohammed al-Masri. The demand is based on 'reasonable grounds to believe' the men bear responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity since October 8 and 7, respectively. A pre-trial bench will evaluate the evidence evaluated by human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, that suggest that crimes were committed in Palestine 🍉 and against Palestinian nationals. While this is a welcome step, it is also important to evaluate the unreported crimes committed by the occupying state of Israel in Gaza over the past several decades. #icc #palestine #gaza