#ThisLittleGirlIsMe: A Campaign Inspiring Women Across the Globe!

One of the most significant ways to be inspired is to see someone you can relate to being successful so you can learn from them. That’s exactly how #ThisLittleGirlIsMe, a campaign inspiring women across the globe came to fruition.

Chances are you’ve come across the campaign already  or may have even heard Kamala Harris utter these words during a Democratic debate back in the summer of 2021. The campaign is aimed at sharing women’s voices and celebrating women’s power.

Let’s take a look at the history of the campaign and some notable women who shared their stories and advice with the world.

Source: Unsplash 

What is #ThisLittleGirlIsMe?

The International Day of the Girl Child that just passed us by, is celebrated every year on October 11 . It is an internationally recognized day that amplifies the voices of girls and empowers them. To take part in this day, the UK-based non-profit, Inspiring Girls International, developed the #ThisLittleGirlIsMe campaign. The campaign’s goal was to make it easy for girls to come across female role models on social media. The non-profit shared research that shows more than 90% of girls feel higher career aspirations when they follow inspirational women on social media. By sharing stories, women in various leadership roles and positions of power could make a difference in girls’ lives.

Women are making strides in holding positions of power, which can be witnessed by the fact that the number of women in C-suite positions is on the rise. For example, in 2018, Korn Ferry’s analysis found that women held 23% of C-suite positions in the 1,000 largest corporations over eight industries in America. In 2019, that percentage grew to 25%. Although women still represent a minority holding high-level leadership roles, these types of movements contribute to creating an equal reality.

#ThisLittleGirlIsMe: How the Movement Spread

To take part in the #ThisLittleGirlIsMe campaign, women leaders were invited to post to their social media accounts any time between September 13 and October 11, 2021.

To participate, female leaders were to post and share:

1. A photo of themselves
2. Ambitions and a piece of advice that they would’ve given to their younger self
3. Words of encouragement for others
4. Tag @inspiringgirlsint with #ThisLittleGirlIsMe

The campaign was intended to be on Instagram. However, throughout the weeks, the hashtag grew in popularity and gained traction on other social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

In actuality, the campaign is well-suited for LinkedIn as it’s meant to be a professional network. At the same time that women leaders were sharing inspirational stories, they were also opening the door for younger women to network with them, follow them, and read their previous posts.

Powerful Quotes from Women Leaders Who Contributed

Thousands of successful and notable women took part in the #ThisLittleGirlIsMe movement.

Here is a snippet of some women who shared their stories and pieces of advice:

• Melinda Gates (American philanthropist and co-chair of the Gates Foundation): “I wish I could tell her to embrace her shortcomings rather than hide them – they help you become your best self.”
• Amy E. Weaver (President and CFO of Salesforce): “At this age, I dreamed of being President of the US…I’m a different type of president now (& CFO). I’m grateful I was always encouraged to dream BIG. Go, girls, go!”
• Ana Botín (President, Banco Santander): “My advice to my 12-year-old self would be: ‘That it is fine to ‘pivot’…Life is about making choices. Learn how to take risks. And, of course, this means you will make mistakes; they are part of the equation. Learn from them.”

Source: Unsplash 

Social Media’s Role in Female Empowerment

Social media has played a continued role in activism. When it comes to female empowerment and quality, several movements on social media have focused on this topic. For example, there has been the “women supporting women” challenge, #MeToo movement, #HeForShe campaign, and #LikeaGirl, to name a few.

Social media has provided the means by which women, and all people, from all over the world can connect and share their stories. This breeds an environment in which different perspectives can be shared and offers a platform where voices can be amplified to shape and inspire future generations.

Share Your Story

Whether you took part in the #ThisGirlIsMe campaign or not, everyone has their own story to tell and reasons to be proud of themselves. It’s important to remember that success is subjective.

For some, success may look like being a first-generation college student, and for others, it may be becoming the president of a multi-million-dollar corporation. Regardless of your current status in life, you can gain wisdom by learning from others. 

For young girls, keep an eye on the women who have come before you and helped pave the path to shattering the glass ceiling. #ThisLittleGirlsIsMe is just one example of how words have the power to empower.