Social Justice and the Day of the Girl!
The Social Justice club is one of many clubs at Saint Ursula Academy dedicated to improving and understanding the injustices in our society. The Social Justice club meets during Club 5 every month to highlight different issues which affect both local and global communities.
Ellie Graham '23, one of the group’s leaders, reflected that the Social Justice club “is an outlet to empower and inspire people to work toward a more just world”. An essential part of the group’s initiative includes mission collection, which is a monetary collection in advisory for global outreach in developing nations. Throughout September and October the Social Justice club has headed mission collections supporting two organizations. Saint Ursula supported these womens focused organizations to celebrate the United Nations Day of the Girl.
The Day of the Girl is celebrated on October 11th every year by the United Nations “to invest in a future that believes in women’s agency, leadership and potential.” The Day of the Girl is important in order to advocate for girls worldwide who “face unprecedented challenges to their education, their physical and mental wellness, and the protections needed for a life without violence.” This day highlights the need to support the struggles of women and the importance of women’s achievements. At SUA specifically, learning at an all-girls school contributes to our growth as leaders, learners, and most importantly friends and family members.
In our conversation, Ellie Graham additionally said the group hopes “to uplift women everywhere and encourage them to pursue their dreams” on the Day of the Girl and beyond. In recognition of these opportunities, we celebrate the Day of the Girl to honor the legacy of the empowered women who lay the foundation for our success at SUA.
During mission collection, the social justice club picked the organizations of Camfed and Days for Girls. Camfed supports the education of women and their engagement in social justice, leadership, and climate action. This organization encourages all women “to create the future they imagine: for themselves, for their communities, and for Africa.”
In addition to Camfed, Days for Girls “advances menstrual equity, health, dignity and opportunity for all. We transform periods into pathways.” Days for Girls highlights the importance of menstrual health through health education, social entrepreneurship, and advocacy.
Mission Collection is one way to express care and support for our global community. Each month, the social justice club does Mission Collection based on theme and student input as part of a goal to support both global and local needs. Throughout the year, look out for opportunities to get involved in social justice events through lunch in learns, donations, and our Christmas Fair Trade sale!