Hundreds of young girls, women, and the men who support them, gathered for the “Day of the Girl” rally and march in downtown Fort Worth on Friday.
A few hours before it started, we sat down with Jennifer Limas, the CEO of the non-profit that hosted the event: Girls Inc. of Tarrant County.
“It’s just a really special day,” Limas said. She also said it has been a big week for women as more and more people continue to share their experiences of sexual assault and harassment by using the hashtag, “metoo.”
“And so when we share those experiences that we’ve had, or we come together and we lift one another up, it’s important.”
Her organization’s march, focuses on lifting up young girls and empowering them.
“It really does emphasize that being a girl is being strong, smart and bold,” said Avery Smith, a senior at the Young Women’s Leadership Academy in Fort Worth.
“To help girls have confidence in themselves,” said 9th grader Emily Leschber, regarding her favorite part of Girls Inc..
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“I always knew I could do more and better things than boys can do,” said 7th grader Brianna Rhodes with a chuckle.
Together, they marched through downtown Fort Worth celebrating being a girl.
“We’re looking for a way to collectively and positively use our voice to empower girls in our community, to lift up this next generation and advocate for them,” said Limas.
And from this next generation, some perspective on what girls face, “there’s been a lot of progress made in equality for both men and women, but there’s still lots of progress to be made,” said Emily Morales, a senior at Young Women’s Leadership Academy.
“Without struggle, there’s no progress,” said Paige Green, an 11th grader in Girls Inc. “So you shouldn’t be afraid of taking a step out or going outside of your comfort zone because in the end everything will come together and work in your favor.”
Starting young, these girls are being taught to advocate for one another and find strength in their sisterhood.
