Breaking news: We are one step closer to ending child marriage!

Last week we had the honor of hosting another event in Atlanta at the home of Ted Turner, the founder and chairman of the United Nations Foundation.

I know a girl named Kidan from Ethiopia. Like so many girls around the world, she has dreams and aspirations. She wants to be a doctor one day. But Kidan is at a crossroads; there is a key obstacle standing in her way. Do you know what that is?

Girl Up was thrilled to join our Champion Ivanka Trump in New York at the launch of her new clothing line, Ivanka Trump Ready-to-Wear. Sitting on the edge of the runway for a sneak peek of this highly anticipated collection was a fashion lover’s dream come true! The warm spring colors and luxurious designs caught everyone's attention.

On January 12, 2010, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake devastated the country of Haiti.  Today, the second anniversary of the earthquake, is a good reminder to remember the girls and women who have been affected. Currently, there are about 800 camps and half a million people still displaced, many of them girls and women. 

This holiday season, Girl Up is working with you to change the lives of 2,000 girls in the Jijiga refugee camp in Ethiopia, run by UNHCR. While these girls have fled their homes in Somalia to escape conflict and famine, the reality of life in a regufee camp means they need our help more than ever.

Everyday I’m inspired by the work I do for the United Nations Foundation, but today I was completely blown away: Girl Up and Project Girl Performance Collective participated in TEDxWomen’s global conversation on the importance of women and girls! This incredible group of teens rocked the stage at the Paley Center in New York as part of a global event, with speakers in two cities and more than 100 organized viewing conferences around the world

I would like to personally thank Nickelodeon for including Girl Up in the third annual TeenNick HALO Awards, and for honoring the amazing work of teen philanthropists! Girl Up was thrilled to be recognized at the star-studded HALO Awards by host and Chairman Nick Cannon, celebrity guest Jessica Biel and Girl Up Champion Victoria Justice.

We are excited to officially announce the second class of Girl Up Teen Advisors! This year we received more than 200 nominations from across the country.

When you get 21 girls together from all over the world, expect change! For two days, I’m joining teen girls who were hand-picked from each G20 country and the African Union, to serve as delegates to brainstorm ideas that will help give girls everywhere more opportunities.

I just got back from Ethiopia where 1 in 5 girls is married by the age of 15. For just a $40 donation, you can you can change this statistic. While I was there, I was able to catch up with Tigist — an incredible girl with an inspiring story who we first introduced you to last year.

It’s taken me a few weeks to settle in at the UN Foundation, and now it’s finally time to introduce myself to you – I’m Gina, the new Girl Up Campaign Director! From the moment I heard about Girl Up and the amazing things you all are doing to unite for girls around the world, I was hooked and knew this was the job for me. Of course my 4-year-old daughter Dylan had to approve of the choice too, as you’ll see in the video below.