Girls Count

Boys count too. Of course they do. But this fall, I've learned so much about the disproportionate challenges that girls face, most notably through what I witnessed on the ground in Ethiopia and digitally through Half the Sky and now Malala Yousafzai, a 15-year-old girl who was shot in the head because of her commitment to advocating for the right for girls -- for all children -- to go to school. This is something that's incredibly difficult for me to stomach; dropping Laurel and Violet off at school is just a basic part of our routine.
Now, if you believe that all girls deserve an education (oh my word, I hope that is all of you), you can raise your voice in honor of Malala by signing this petition and/or donating to the Malala Fund to support global education for girls. Any amount is awesome, but for reference, a donation of $13 will bring a school uniform and books to a girl seeking education. Also awesome? If you donate between 12-1pm EST today, every dollar will be matched by generous donors! So please consider donating and sharing (if you're on Twitter, use the hashtag #MalalaFund). THANK YOU!

Also, related, earlier this fall I participated in filming for Care.com's You Count campaign, which is geared towards building confidence and boosting self-esteem in kids. I thought I'd share that video here:

Image credit: Vital Voices