Today is International Day of the Girl and focuses our attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls' empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.
"In a culture that often dismisses, diminishes, and attempts to dim the light of girls and women, it’s imperative that we celebrate them at every opportunity afforded (or seized)."
In order for any country to reach peace and prosperity, it must empower girls to become healthy and successful mothers, earners, and leaders.
To celebrate today, I wanted to share a beautiful poem by Leslé Honoré
If you raise free daughters
They will be the keys that unlock your shackles
They will teach you how to live without ceilings
They will show you
That the space between
Dreams and reality
Is just a beautiful leap
If you raise free daughters
They will teach you to
Unlearn
Unprogram
Unpack
Everything you know
About being a woman
About loving
About trusting
You will speak to yourself differently
So you can speak to her differently
You will love yourself differently
So she can love herself infinitely
If you raise free daughters
They will fly far and high
And you will hold your breath
Bite your tongue
Fight the urge to keep them close
If you raise free daughters
Your throat will be tight
As they take flight
Into the Milky Way
If your raise free daughters
They will correct you
And you will be humbled
Because they will be right
If you raise free daughters
They will grow into free women
And they will never understand
What it feels like
To make yourself smaller
To be loved
Dim your light
To be accepted
Be silent
To be safe
They will lead
And you will follow
Because if you raise free daughters
They will break generations long lies
That you are limited
Less than
Incapable
Unelectable
Unfit
They will never know a limitation
They will forge new paths
Trail Blazers
Fighters
Winners
Hope will not be a mustard seed
It will be a battle cry
A victory
They will breathe courage
And never leave a sister behind
If you raise free daughters
They will free you
And then free the world
Leslé Honoré
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