The Power of Girls

“Empowerment of and investment in girls are key in breaking the cycle of discrimination and violence and in promoting and protecting the full and effective enjoyment of their human rights” – United Nations Resolution 66/170

Four years ago, the UN declared October 11 as the International Day of the Girl to raise awareness of the profound health, economic and societal issues facing girls and women everywhere. With more than 60 million girls globally denied access to quality secondary schooling, education has been identified as one of the most pressing needs in the world today.

The need to invest in girls – who will quickly become women – is both a societal and a business problem, and one that governments, corporations and NGOs need to work together to solve. Adobe believes deeply that all people deserve equal access to education, good jobs and the freedom and ability to express themselves. There is also a strong business case for advancing opportunities for young women. The technology industry is facing talent shortages that will only become worse over time. Without strong representation of women in our recruiting pipeline, this will likely become an inhibitor to business growth in the future.

That’s why we’re joining the UN in celebrating International Day of the Girl, and spotlighting some of our partners that are making incredible contributions to this critical movement.

Create and Inspire #withMalala

Today, we are proud to announce the #withMalala challenge which we will be hosting through our new social impact initiative, Project 1324. The mission of Project 1324 is to support a global community of artists ages 13 to 24 who use creativity as a force for positive social change.

The #withMalala challenge is the first in a series of global digital arts projects that Project 1324 will co-host with some of the world’s most inspiring and influential organizations, as exemplified by The Malala Fund.

The #withMalala project will invite young people to submit any form of media expressing why girls’ secondary education matters. Each piece will support Malala’s global campaign to provide 12 years of free, quality and safe education to millions of girls worldwide.

Coding: Breaking Gender Stereotypes

Building a more diverse tech industry will require a large-scale effort. Through work we’re doing with our Youth Coding Initiative partners, we are opening up the possibility of a career in technology to girls who may never have previously considered it. Research shows that engaging with young students can go a long way.

A 2009 study found that middle-school girls became significantly more interested in engineering careers after seeing a 20-minute presentation dispelling the notion that the field is unwelcoming to women. Similar studies have confirmed how easily stereotypes about STEM professionals can be overturned among students. Small steps can make a big difference.

Join us in supporting the education of all girls. Tell young women you know to participate in the #withMalala challenge. Ask them to look into opportunities offered by our Youth Coding Initiative partners: Girls Who Code, Urban Arts Partnership, Black Girls Code, CodeNow and Technovation. Help girls discover the possibilities.