SchoolAid and Plan International Australia launch 'Because I am a Girl' in Aussie schools

School Aid 'Because I am a Girl' website

In an Australian first, Australian non-profits SchoolAid and Plan International Australia (Plan) have joined forces to collaborate on the 'Because I am a Girl' online campaign to educate primary school children (7 to 12 year olds), in a positive and age-appropriate way, how gender inequality and discrimination affects girls in many developing countries, and how Aussie kids can get involved and change the world!

We know that girls in particular are missing out on an education in many societies, and the SchoolAid 'Because I am a Girl' website has been developed to help Australian students understand why it can be so difficult for girls to go to school due to lack of money, no access to local schools, or no family support.  With education comes understanding and action, and SchoolAid and Plan both believe our Australian students can really make a difference!

SchoolAid founder, Sean Gordon, said, "'SchoolAid is very proud to partner with Plan on this important campaign, fostering positive understanding of the issues facing girls and young women in societies all over the world.  SchoolAid's work to encourage and nurture philanthropy, empathy and compassion in Australian primary school students will only be enhanced by assisting them to understand how their actions can really help to empower girls in societies all over the world."

The campaign's focal point is an interactive website, designed to engage students, and provide teachers with stories and videos they can share in their classrooms, highlighting the importance of education, and the central role it can play in alleviating many of the difficulties faced by children in the developing world - especially girls.  

The 'Because I am a Girl' website provides simple messages, curriculum linkages and education pathways for Australian teachers to use in their classrooms.  The complimentary teaching resources will help teachers engage their students about these important issues affecting girls all over the world.

Ian Wishart, chief executive of Plan International Australia said "Investing in girls can literally lift entire nations out of poverty. The unique power to bring about social change extends to boys and girls here in Australia, so Plan is inviting them to become part of a global movement for girls' rights everywhere.  We're delighted to be working with SchoolAid to encourage Australian teachers and students to explore issues affecting girls in classrooms across Australia."

We encourage all Australian schools to get involved in the campaign.

Visit SchoolAid to get started!

Notes to Editors

SchoolAid founder Sean Gordon and Plan International chief executive Ian Wishart are available for interviews

Nicky McEnery
Online Marketing Manager
SchoolAid
Telephone: 02 9514 5301
Mobile: 0425 858 030
Email: nicky@schoolaid.org.au

David Cook
Media Officer
Plan International Australia
Mobile: 0448 816 900
Email: david.cook@plan.org.au

About SchoolAid

SchoolAid is a non-profit organisation providing resources and programs to principals and teachers to support them in creating philanthropic, caring students.  SchoolAid provides children with the means to engage with children around the world – kids helping kids – and turn their compassion into action.

About Plan

Plan is one of the oldest and largest children's development organisations in the world with programmes in 50 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas to promote child rights and lift millions of children out of poverty. The organisation works with more than 37,900 communities each year, covering a population of 28 million children.

About Plan's 'Because I Am A Girl' global campaign

Because I am a Girl is Plan's campaign to fight gender inequality, promote girls' rights and lift millions of girls out of poverty. Across the world, girls face double discrimination due to their gender and age, leaving them at the bottom of the social ladder.

Research has shown that girls are more likely to suffer from malnutrition; be forced into an early marriage; be subject to violence or intimidation; be trafficked, sold or coerced into the sex trade; or become infected with HIV.

Plan is producing one girl report each year in the run up to 2015, the target year for the Millennium Development Goals. Each report provides tangible proof of the inequalities that still exist between boys and girls. The next report will be published in October 2011.