Less than 4 per cent of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) are women.² With statistics like these, girls need role models to instil in them the confidence they need to achieve their dreams.   Many Power Circle girls, after a thought-provoking conversation with a woman who has achieved big dreams, or a man who believes in their abilities, have been inspired to go after their dreams in a big way.

A big part of the Leave No Girl Behind program is to give participants a global perspective, and bridge the divide created by separation – separation in terms of nationality, culture, religion, gender and all the other factors that society uses to create separation.

For one girl a mentor was able to help her deal with the thoughts of self-harm that she faced, because the mentor had been in that situation earlier in life.  For some girls they learned about the healing power of forgiving themselves, while others were taught how to journal and even how to create and use vision boards to achieve their dreams. Another group of girls learned what tools to use to deal with tough decisions they may face.

Many girls had never been made aware of Skype or used it, and for them to talk to a mentor in another country, to learn about another area and a different lifestyle, as well as to hear a foreign accent, was a treat. This experience gave the girls an opportunity to learn from a new voice in their lives; someone they would not ordinarily be in contact with.  Some mentors have been willing to connect with the girls on a personal level and give them moral support in pursuing their dreams.

² http://unstats.un.org/unsd/gender/downloads/WorldsWomen2015_report.pdf