WUNRN
GIRL
CHILD NETWORK WORLDWIDE
“From our lived experiences, we
have so many practical ways to support the empowerment of girls in the home,
school, and community so that what happened to us will never happen to women
and girls again. We want a new breed of girl who will walk in the fullness of
her potential,”
— Betty Makoni — Director and
Founder of Girl Child Network
GCNW is the lead
organization in the empowerment of girls worldwide
History
The need to establish an
organization to champion the rights of girl children in Zimbabwe was perceived in 1998 by Betty Makoni after listening to
the horrifying experiences of ten of her female students. Her personal
experiences of abuse as a child further fueled her determination. An informal
discussion group was subsequently created to provide a safe forum for girls to
meet and talk freely about their problems and devise possible solutions. This
initial group became the first girls’ empowerment club in Zimbabwe.
In March of 1999 Girl Child
Network (GCN) was formally established with the specific mandate to be a voice
for the voiceless, particularly school-aged girls between the ages of 0 –
16-years-old. The organization was born out of the helplessness and
hopelessness of the girl child in Zimbabwe, with the objective to assist girls in their quest for
emancipation. GCN set out to advocate on behalf of girls and to empower them to
speak out when their rights were being violated. Therein the previously
forgotten girl child was able to highlight her plight regarding sensitive
issues like rape, HIV/AIDS, forced marriages, premarital sex and also
effectively communicate her hopes and aspirations.
By the end of 1999, there were at
least 10 active clubs in Chitungwiza, and in 2000 GCN began building Girls Empowerment
Villages that served as ‘safe houses’ where survivors of rape and sexual abuse
could seek refuge and rehabilitation. To break the silence, the founding
members, 500 girls, and a few gender-sensitive men, women and boys undertook a
17-day march against child sexual abuse, covering 290 kilometers from
Chitungwiza to Mutare, proving itself a true champion of girls` rights.
In 2006 GCN was firmly
established in Zimbabwe and indeed became a household name. By July 2006, over
30,000 girls belonged to some 500 GCNW clubs in Zimbabwe, spread over 35 of Zimbabwe’s 58 districts. Today, the number of girls joining GCNW
has grown and many girls` clubs and initiatives, with the purpose of
fundraising on behalf of girls, are sprouting up around the globe with over 900
girls’ empowerment clubs in Africa alone. Other countries with clubs involved or affiliated
with GCNW include Uganda, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Ethiopia, South
Africa, Sierra Leone, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. Girls everywhere are taking the initiative
and mobilizing to defend their rights. Clearly, girl child empowerment is
spreading like wildfire.
The idea to expand GCN into Girl
Child Network Worldwide (GCNW) was conceived in September 2007 by Betty Makoni,
and current US-based trustee Leanne Grossman who started fundraising projects
to support girls in Zimbabwe who had fallen into disastrous situations for which no one
immediately and effectively mobilized. This had a huge impact as the assistance
benefitted 160 girls over a three-month period.
GCNW replicates a best practice
model that has secured 26 global awards for excellence, innovation, and
effectiveness in the delivery of girls` empowerment programs at the local
grassroots level. It is a globally acclaimed organization anchored in many
parts of the world. It stands as a great inspiration to girls and women who
want to actualize their full potential. By taking a unique empowerment and
proactive rather than welfarist or reactive approach, GCNW motivates girls to
spearhead their own liberation.
The GCNW Empowerment Model has
worked very well in Zimbabwe and in other parts of Africa, however, its
transformation into GCNW comes at a time when its founding members strongly
feel an international platform would unite girls in their activism and allow
them to speak out with one well coordinated voice, ensuring a clear worldwide
leadership and solidarity on issues affecting the girl child. GCNW is meant to
be the centre of coordination and learning, and to provide a forum for the
exchange of ideas, knowledge, and resources.
Vision
We envision a world where girls
everywhere are empowered and enjoy their right to walk in the fullness of their
potential.
Mission
GCNW supports and promotes girls’
rights, empowerment, and education by reaching out to and advancing the
circumstances of girls wherever they are economically deprived, at risk of
abuse, subject to harmful cultural practices, or living in areas of
instability. GCNW funds small grants for girls to finish school, move out of
forced sex work or early marriages and start projects to support themselves.
GCNW is the training center for new GCN clubs emerging around the world.
Why We Are Unique
Abuse of young girls recognizes
no borders, cultures, creed, or color. It is all around us, representing
massive loss of human potential as well as a gross violation of human rights.
In order to effectively combat these atrocities, GCNW takes a unique
empowerment and proactive rather than a welfarist or reactive approach, and in
so doing acknowledges and brings forth the inherent strength and power within
every girl child. The organization has emerged out of the exploitive personal
experiences undergone by girls and women around the world, and the resulting experience,
passion, and commitment makes it possible to move seamlessly from the African
village to the global village.
Principles and Values
GCNW continues to accomplish its
mission through implementing our core principles:
1.
Integrity— we deliver our programs with truth and openness and
know we must remain accountable at all times. Everything we say and do must
show that we are open and clean in our words and deeds.
2.
Innovation— new and unique approaches are needed in order to
effectively prevent and combat the exploitation of girl children and to aid in
the rehabilitation process.
3.
Passion— we do everything from the heart. Our work inspires and is
inspired by our personal stories and the stories of the girls we represent.
4.
Commitment— we started as volunteers and we will commit our time
and resources above what others contribute.
5.
Excellency— We must be the best in whatever we do. No part of our
work is insignificantly done.
6.
Action— we continually strive for concrete results through
concrete action.
7.
Empowerment— everyone we work with or target must be able to stand
up for themselves, our role being to facilitate this process.
8.
Empathy— the ability to have compassion for the circumstances of
other human beings lies at the core of GCNW ideology, the belief being that if
empathy were adequately cultivated within individuals and societies, compassion
and mutual well-being would prevail. We work to deeply instil this ability in
GCNW affiliates.
9.
Teamwork— we believe the solution requires all of us playing a
role and that each role is essential.
10.
Learning and Sharing— As we generate and share knowledge it will
make us stronger and better. We are an organization that promotes a learning
culture.
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