Saman Ahsan, new Executive Director of Girls Action Foundation

One of the most delightful sights to behold is hope in the eyes of a young girl. Not only does it light up her face, it brightens the world around her. It takes so little to ignite that ray of hope, but once there it goes a long way. It is a powerful substance and has the potential to change lives and transform generations. It is the smallest investment with the possibility of the highest returns. This is why I am at Girls Action Foundation – because I believe in the power of girls to change the future of the world like no other force.

I believe that girls are the same everywhere. They want to love and be loved, they want to be understood and respected as human beings, and they want opportunities to express themselves and to enjoy being girls. It is a sad truth that a large majority of girls do not even get this much. In terms of discrimination and lack of access to resources, girls are at the lowest end in most societies.

There is a deeply rooted negative cycle of perceptions and behaviours towards young girls based on their perceived value. In traditionally patriarchal and patrilineal societies, son-preference is predominant.  Boys are valued as they inherit the name and property of the father and are expected to provide future income and support. Daughters are married off and forever after become part of the husband’s family, bringing no value to their parents’ household. The expenses associated with marriage and a dowry mean that daughters are considered a drain on resources rather than an asset.

The watering hole
I remember visiting my village in Pakistan as a child. There used to be a hand-pump close to our house and all the women of the village came there to get drinking water for their households. They would always come visit us afterwards and help out with chores, chat about their lives, gossip about their neighbours, sing songs, and even dance in our yard upon request! I will never forget one woman who came with her new baby daughter. When we asked if she had everything she needed for the baby, she said, “Well, I’m getting there. I’ve already got a gold necklace for her dowry and the other things I will put together by and by.” From this perspective, one can see how it would be hard to value girls when parents start thinking about the expenses of a daughter’s wedding from the day she is born.

This perception of low value also plays out in the form of gender discrimination. It leads to female foeticide in some societies, and in the general lack of opportunities for girls including the denial of basic rights such as food, health and education. It reinforces girls’ self-perception of uselessness and helplessness which instills low self-esteem and confidence, and feeds a vicious cycle difficult to break.

I know that the situation in Canada is different from most developing countries and we have come a long way from traditional patriarchal society, but we still haven’t been able to get rid of all the underlying perceptions and negative behaviours. Girlhood is not yet valued as it should be and gender discrimination is present at all levels. When compounded by other axes of discrimination such as racial or ethnic background, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, etc., it becomes a major oppressive force weighing down upon girls.

Getting out of this chain of negativity just requires a little push – for girls to realize that they are capable and are a valuable part of society. This is the powerful ray of hope that I mentioned above. Once girls understand this, their own self-esteem and confidence can empower them to fight discrimination, access and create new opportunities and take on the world! No longer are they seen as helpless victims or useless components of society, but become active agents who take charge of their lives and play an important role in their communities. The ray of hope awakens the determination and drive of the girls, and that is a force that cannot be reckoned with.

My girls in Pakistan
Through the Girl Child Project Pakistan, I have been fortunate to have worked with young girls in Pakistan and seen hope blossom in the lives of more than 35,000 young girls. These were girls belonging to marginalized communities in rural areas and urban slums, where gender discrimination is at its peak. Yet with a little bit of hope, girls have been able to reclaim their rights and assert their value – all in a determined, consistent yet non-confrontational way. It is miraculous that such a small investment can bring about such great changes.

I have seen countless examples of girls who used the new empowerment to change their lives and those of people around them. There is Saadia, who participated in the 2002 UNGASS (United Nations General Assembly Special Session) and sang a Pakistani song in front of the entire audience including Kofi Annan and Nelson Mandela, making them swing to it. Shaheen was the first girl of her small village in Sindh province who could persuade her family to let her come to the city to continue her education, after which she became the Regional Co-ordinator of the project. There are Imogen and Tasneem, who rushed to provide first aid when a trekker fell from a precipice near their village in the Northern Areas. Initially reprimanded by some family members for having treated a man, they became heroines of their village when it was realized that they had saved the man’s life. Salma Bano started a home school in her village where earlier there was no school – the last time I visited, she had some 70 students of different ages. Jannat Bibi convinced her family to break off her engagement to an old man, which had been arranged when she was hardly 3 years old. Fakhra, when she became mother to 2 children, convinced her husband to get a vasectomy, something unheard of in their village. Even the staff at the family planning clinic told him that they would not perform the procedure as his children were too young, and if they did not survive through infancy, then he would regret his decision. Madiha traveled alone to Nepal to attend a young leaders’ workshop, having never even stayed overnight at a relative’s house before. All these girls are some of the success stories, and there are thousands of others who changed their lives in big or small – yet by no means insignificant – ways.

These were “my girls” when I was working in Pakistan. Interacting with them and seeing the ray of hope in their eyes was my biggest reward. I hope and believe that every girl who participated in the project went away with a ray of hope, and this thought gives me a warm and happy feeling. I am sure the effect will be more visible in future generations, when these girls become mothers and help reduce gender discrimination by providing equal opportunities to their sons and daughters. It is a revolution that has been seeded and we just have to wait to see the harvest.

For now, I am delighted for the opportunity to work with girls of Canada. While their situation is much better than that of their Pakistani sisters, they still have a long way to go to achieve equal opportunities. Having met some brilliant young women who participated in the Elle training last October, I am confident that the girls of Canada are ready to take on the world and can change our future with their ideas and energy. Here’s to a bright future for the girls of Canada!