Sachi was 13 when she joined Girls Gearing Up. She was shy and afraid to voice her opinions. Two years later, she was confidently moderating discussions with professionals, had a global support network, was a leader at school, and had landed a high-profile internship. She credits GGU with creating a safe space to build the confidence she needed to make impactful changes in her life.
Tiya from Malawi, a participant in 2019, believes that the girls she met at GGU have helped her to look at the world differently. She has become passionate about climate change and has planted 200 trees with her community. She credits GGU with a different outlook on equality, seeing how women in Malawi still face a lot of challenges. She coaches a girls’ netball team, hoping that the team spirit, camaraderie and physical exercise help in building resilience.
We want to empower more girls like Sachi and Tiya to bring out the potential that lies in the next generation. GGU is Europe’s only international leadership program for teen girls. We aim to equip girls from around the world with the confidence, tools, and network to unleash their potential.
In the past 7 years, we have supported hundreds of girls from over 30 countries. Since being part of the GGU community:
- 80% of participants have taken on leadership roles in their communities
- After one week at GGU, 94% of participants say “I have the skills to be a good leader” (up from 67%)
Studies show that:
- By the age of 6, girls feel less confident than boys
- 70% of girls feel they're not good enough at age 13
- A lack of female role models keep girls from entering traditionally male-dominated fields
We’re ready to change that! We are building an international coalition of girls empowered to make a difference, whose collective actions will unleash a global wave of positive change. In order to reach more girls around the world, we are scaling our Leadership Academies and mentoring program, developing our online resources, and working on an app that would facilitate access to knowledge, networks, and opportunities for girls anywhere.
You can help! This is your opportunity to invest in next generation leaders around the world. As a non-profit organisation (e.V.) we rely on people like you to support our mission. All our funding is made up of corporate donations, support from foundations and the money we receive from generous individuals like yourself. All donations are tax deductible in Germany.
Whether you can donate 5 Euro or 5,000 - we are set up to do a lot with a little. From participation in our Leadership Academy or mentoring program to technology for girls to connect to online resources: every donation makes a difference.
By supporting GGU you’re investing in the future of female leaders. Thank you!