Ten indicators of an empowered girl according to Girl Child Network Worldwide
Girl Child Network Worldwide is working towards a world where girls are:
▪internally motivated and fully engaged
▪self-responsible in creating a life they want
▪authentically communicating with others
▪living with passion, purpose and joy
Designed and
developed by Betty Makoni in 1998 and officially launched at Zengeza 1 High
school in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe, the girl child empowerment strategy has been
tried and tested by GCN for over a decade and has churned out thousands of empowered girls from Zimbabwe and Africa.
The strategy works wonders for girls; some girls who are
now women leaders, benefited from it and are now coming to plough back what
they benefited. The good thing about empowerment is that it is personally
attained and cannot be stolen from an individual. It’s a gift for life, for it
is a positive behavioural change. The girls who went through the empowerment
process have made it in life. They entered into previously male-dominated
fields like engineering, mining, actuarial sciences, medical field, politics
etc. Girls are inspired by such mentors.
Girl
Child Network definition of empowerment
Empowerment means
different things to different people but for GCN, girl child empowerment is
defined based on recognizing the cycle of gender based violence that has
historically impeded the growth and development of the girl child, as well as
suppress the voice of the girl child. Empowerment is therefore a process of providing, facilitating and
instilling the means of addressing issues which impede the full growth and
development of the girl child in all spheres of home, school and community.
EMPOWERMENT PROCESS
Discovery:
Identifying what is meaningful and important
Visioning:
Developing a compelling vision to provide direction
Belief clearing:
Transforming the limiting thoughts that inevitably arise
Manifesting:
Supporting the new beliefs and actions to see results
Instilling
– is a way of “drilling” a new set of values through
deconstructing previous beliefs, practices and attitudes in the girls and those
around them on traditional gender roles of men and women. This is done through
confidence building and leadership training workshops.
Providing – this is premised on GCN principle that no meaningful empowerment takes
place when basic needs are not made available to girls. Through providing
basics to young girls, GCN reduces the degree of vulnerability of girls, to for
example, sugar daddies and other economically, socially and politically
advantaged members of society. Given the degree of poverty especially in rural
areas where 80% of girls are impoverished, access and control of resources is
next to none and parents prefer providing resources like educational support to
boys than to girls. As such GCN also provides some basics where lives are seriously
threatened by poverty. Provision of basics is accompanied with information
provision such as on Post Exposure Prophylaxis and other such referrals to
other service providers
Facilitating
– Allows girls’ clubs and communities to learn the
“best practices”. Such strategies as peer to peer counselling training, Train
the trainer programmes in governance, management, community group counselling,
how to start and run girls clubs, training in self help projects facilitate and
leave girls and communities in charge and control of their situation. Sustainability of programs is guaranteed even
after GCN has left.
When GCN has instilled, provided and facilitated the “means” the
following indicators are evident:
·
Individual transformation targeting the girl child
for her to assert her rights and deconstruct gender stereotypes
·
Instilling a new culture and values on gender
equality and equity in communities where the girls are socialized
·
Providing such platforms like girls’ clubs and
opportunities where girls develop confidence and learn to be in charge and in
control
·
Providing basic needs for girls in the form of
shelter from violence, school fees to facilitate access to education, sanitary
ware for realization of reproductive rights, and other such basic needs to
decrease the girl child’s vulnerability to abuse.
·
Utilisation of acquired information
Girls in GCN clubs are different from other girls because they:
v Have focus
v Are determined to tackle life challenges
v Actively participate in girls’ programs
v Work towards achieving set goals
v Are clear on what career path to take
v Make informed decisions about their future plans
v Prevent and protect themselves from abuse at all costs
v Create one metre space away from potential abusers
v Highly respect GCN values
·
Identifies and names an abuser
·
Articulates and lives up to her rights and ensures
they are protected and promoted in the home, school and community
·
Develops and lives up to her life goal and vision
·
Jealously guards her “one meter space”
·
Plans, implements and evaluates gender, HIV and AIDS
and Human Rights activities with or without an adult
·
Analyzes the status quo and knows which behaviour to
apply as each situation arises
·
Demonstrates sharp gender analysis skills and
applies them in her daily life
·
Use information provided to her in a positive way
·
Loves, respects and appreciates herself
· Communicates effectively and efficiently
This information is brought
to you as a voluntary community service by Chief Executive Officer of Girl Child Network
Worldwide Betty Makoni via Bulawayo24 iBlog Girl Child Network Worldwide Global Center for Girls
Empowerment Essex, UK Africa chapters Girl Child Network Zimbabwe Head Office 131 Duri Road Unit F Seke, Chitungwiza Zengeza Girls Empowerment
Centre Stand No 16352 Zengeza 4 Chitungwiza Branches Hwange Mwemba Girls
Empowerment Village (Matabeleland South) Rusape Chitsotso Girls Empowerment Village Chihota Girls Empowerment
Village Girl Child Network Sierra
Leone Girl Child Network South
Africa Girl Child Network Uganda North America Girl Child Network Canada Girl Child Network USA
Comments
bettymakoni's iBlogs
-
My Face is Eating me Alive
Posted: 2013 June 14 | 24690 Views -
Betty Makoni urges Government of Zimbabwe to allocate budget to baby food and sanitary pads
Posted: 2011 November 22 | 5429 Views -
Betty Makoni urges Government of Zimbabwe to allocate budget to baby food and sanitary pads
Posted: 2011 November 22 | 5624 Views -
A Prostitute is a Mother And is a Woman-Poem by Betty Makoni
Posted: 2011 November 07 | 18472 Views -
Girl Child Network moving from helping thousands of girls in Zimbabwe to helping millions in the world
Posted: 2011 November 03 | 5614 Views -
Female rapists with 33 condoms versus Male rapists with 33 girl victims in Zimbabwe-Be the judge
Posted: 2011 October 31 | 26703 Views -
Valuing the Girl Child by Girl Child Network Worldwide blogger Dorothy Johnson-Laird
Posted: 2011 October 31 | 6861 Views -
Zimbabwean Gospel musicians based in UK in Leicester on 28 October 2011
Posted: 2011 October 27 | 5383 Views -
Menstruation for girls is a health issue like any other-Teach your daughter basics
Posted: 2011 October 25 | 7959 Views -
Open friendly letter to all friends and supporters of mine from Betty Makoni
Posted: 2011 October 24 | 5491 Views -
DOS AND DON’TS WHEN A CHILD DISCLOSES ABUSE
Posted: 2011 October 18 | 20116 Views -
Betty Makoni opens global hotline for women and girls to break silence on rights violations
Posted: 2011 October 16 | 6334 Views -
And she went cold..... A short story by Josiah Taundi
Posted: 2011 October 15 | 15001 Views -
Call to action-Taking Girl Child Network Worldwide to Top 12 in the world –Join us today
Posted: 2011 October 15 | 5796 Views -
Girl Child Networks thrive on good principles and values -Know them better
Posted: 2011 October 14 | 6068 Views -
Girl Child Network Zimbabwe intensifies work to empower girls –Know us better
Posted: 2011 October 14 | 42354 Views -
Mother All the way, All over, All the time-Poem by Betty Makoni
Posted: 2011 October 14 | 4883 Views -
Plea of a dying mother –Just a promise from friends -Poem by Betty Makoni
Posted: 2011 October 13 | 10366 Views