Turning cultural energy into political pressure
The Girl Effect is as much an economic argument as it is a charitable one.
Created by Nike in 2008, the idea is compellingly simple.If you want to make the greatest possible impact on the world, invest in the girls who have been given the fewest opportunities.
Around the world, more than 250 million girls are prevented from reaching their potential through a lack of protection, freedom and education.
Give a girl the chance to live a safe, happy and productive life, and the impact does not stop with her. It spreads to her family. Her community. Her economy. Eventually, her entire country.
That is the Girl Effect.
In July 2014, world leaders gathered in London to discuss the Millennium Development Goals. It was a rare chance to push gender inequality higher up the global agenda.
Until then, Girl Effect had never really been a public-facing movement. Nike saw the opportunity to change that, rally support, and put pressure on those in power. Fast.
Enter Girl Effect Live, a day of inspiration, conversation and celebration about the power of girls to change the world.
For one day, five venues across Brick Lane became a celebration of what girls could achieve when given the chance. There were talks, performances, workshops and plenty of reasons to stop and pay attention.
Empathy sat at the heart of the idea. Rather than leading with statistics or telling young women in the UK what they ought to care about, we began by creating a sense of connection.
The programme focused on the interests, experiences and ambitions they shared with girls around the world. From there, we could reveal the inequalities holding millions back and show how those in the UK could help change things.
Because it is much easier to care about someone once you recognise something of yourself in them.
To help the idea connect with a younger audience, we teamed up with some of the country’s most exciting creative talent.
Music. Street art. Spoken word. Comedy. Nail art. Immersive theatre. We were not putting all our eggs in one cultural basket.
Each collaborator brought their own voice, audience and creative energy to Girl Effect Live, helping turn a serious global issue into something people could connect with, take part in and share.
Highlights included stand-up from Mae Martin, spoken word from George the Poet, street art by Lakwena and Kate Moross, custom nail design by Wah Nails and, my personal favourite, an original immersive theatre production by Punchdrunk.
The packed programme culminated in a live performance by Jessie J.
Throughout the day, our team of volunteers helped turn all that energy into something useful, encouraging people to share their reactions on social media or record their thoughts in our video booths.
SBTV was also on the ground, capturing the event as it happened through live performances and interviews with talent and attendees. The content went straight onto its platform, helping Girl Effect Live travel well beyond Brick Lane.
We also created a small but surprisingly effective symbol of support. A customisable ‘G’ necklace designed by East London jewellery makers Tatty Devine.
Part fashion accessory. Part keepsake. Part badge of solidarity.
One of the festival’s most powerful moments was Walk with Me, an immersive theatre experience created with Punchdrunk.
Based on real stories, it followed three best friends from Ethiopia. Each started out full of joy and hope for the future, before circumstances beyond their control pulled their lives and friendship apart.
The experience was designed to get people talking. Audience members wore headsets and followed the story only from one girl’s perspective, hearing her voice as they moved through the space.
It was not until everyone came back together that the full story could be pieced together. As audience members compared what they had experienced, it opened the door to a wider conversation about the very real injustices faced by millions of girls around the world.
Another highlight was Girls Reframed, an original exhibition inspired by the real lives of 20 girls growing up in the shadow of inequality.
We wanted audiences to see the girl, not just the struggle.
Using interviews and photographs as a starting point, we commissioned 20 young artists to create an original portrait, bringing each girl’s personality, passions and dreams to the fore.
“I hope I can be a painter because painting not only makes me happy but also makes other people happy”
In just one day, Girl Effect Live connected with thousands of girls and sparked a huge response online.
But that was only half the job. The second the festival was over, the pressure campaign began. We gathered up all the messages, reactions and shows of support and put them directly in front of world leaders the following day.
And it made a difference. For the first time, women’s empowerment was put forward as a stand-alone Millennium Development Goal, with world leaders committing to tackle gender inequality and unleash the power of girls.
