Operating in 20 countries, Inspiring Girls wants to help Hong Kong’s half a million young women achieve their career aspirations.
With gender stereotyping and high pressure to perform in school, it can often be tough for girls to dream big. Especially when young girls are often discouraged from pursuing higher education in technical fields, like engineering and science. Inspiring Girls is a global charity that empowers young girls to achieve their career aspirations, and they’ve recently launched in Hong Kong.
A little about Inspiring Girls
The mission is to inspire girls by creating insightful and intimate conversations about career goals with professional women from all walks of life. Inspiring Girls connects girls aged between 10 to 18 with role models. And hold talks at schools, face-to-face discussions in smaller groups, and other educational events. The purpose of this is to provide real life examples of female empowerment to give young girls the motivation they need to challenge the patriarchy and gender stereotypes.
Inspiring Girls also provides access to a digital library. It includes educational software applications to girls around the world – particularly those with limited access to female role models in their own communities. This ensures that Inspiring Girls’ message can cross as many borders as possible, to help girls build the courage to realise their dreams.
“We want to change outdated ideas, remove limitations placed upon girls, and deliver support to dream beyond purely traditional or limited career paths,” says Ines Gafsi, Inspiring Girls Country Chair.
Why focus on girls you ask?
Inspiring Girls has a future vision to expand to young boys as well. But the charity has started with girls because of the staggering statistics that illustrate the challenges facing women and girls in pursuing male-dominated professions.
According to the Girls Attitude Survey, 67% of young women believe they do not have the same professional chances as men. 46% of teenage girls say they don’t have the confidence to become leaders. Fortunately, providing access to female role models can do a lot to change these perceptions. According to Intribe for Valore D and Inspiring Girls Italy, 70% of girls feel differently about their future after hearing from women role models. In order to build a better future, it’s important for the women of today to inspire the women of tomorrow.
How Inspiring Girls works in Hong Kong
The Hong Kong chapter of Inspiring Girls has launched with a focus on STEM, sustainability, and art and culture careers. This focus comes from the charity’s research into in-demand jobs for the next two decades. So far, the organisation has partnered with five participating schools, both local and international.
Each school programme will last six months (one session per month) and it will include workshops, speed mentoring, job-shadowing, and one-on-one catch-up. Sessions typically take place inside the partnering school after classes are done for the day. Either the Inspiring Girls staff or volunteer role models host each session.
Get involved
Become a role model
Share your own story, career path, and experience to help encourage girls in schools and break down gender and cultural stereotypes. The commitment to be an Inspiring Girls role model is voluntary and flexible. You can join the school sessions either in person or online to chat with the girls.
Apply to be a role model here.
Submit a short video
For a short, punchy, yet powerful impact, you can record a three to four minute video of yourself sharing your career journey. It will be about your job and how you got there, whether you’re a CEO or an apprentice, it doesn’t matter! Your video will then be published at the Inspiring Girls’ Video Hub, where girls from across the world can watch your message.
Find out more about Inspiring Girls online.
