2016: Everywhere we looked, girls were doing incredible things.
What will you remember most about 2016?
Ask us and we’ll will tell you about Yusra Mardini, a Syrian refugee girl who swam for three hours to bring her sinking boat full of people to safety and then went on to compete in this summer’s Olympics.
Or we might answer with the story of Marley Dias, an 11 year-old girl who was tired of reading books where the main character was a boy or a dog, but never a black girl like her. She started the #1000BlackGirlBooks movement to collect stories of diverse girl heroes.
Or we could talk about Zaynab Abdi, who fled three wars in three countries before she was 17 years old. As a Malala Fund girl advocate, she traveled to New York this year to speak with world leaders and urge them to help more than 10 million refugee children not in school today.
Everywhere we look, girls accomplished so much in 2016.
In a year defined by uncertainty and fear, they didn’t wait patiently for the world to call on them. They stood tall and showed us what they can do.
We know we are not the only ones who are watching. As Malala says, “Girls dream together. We know when one of us succeeds, we all stand taller.”
With more than 130 million girls still out of school, we must recognize that all girls matter and deserve an education. Whether she is an Olympic athlete, science fair winner, an artist or an eagle huntress, every girl has the right to learn and lead without fear.
That is why Malala Fund shares their stories and celebrates their victories. You can help by watching this video of 2016’s best girl-powered moments.
We’re excited to see what girls will accomplish in 2017. We hope you’ll be watching, too.
