2006 NCGS International Girls' Forum

DIGS: Daughters of International Girls' Schools

 

The young women who attended the 2006 NCGS International Girls' Forum, as part of the NCGS Annual Conference last summer in Boston are busy following up on a project they developed during the Forum. Called 'DIGS,' for Daughters of International Girls' Schools, the initiative is designed to create a global network of girls discussing current events and taking action on women's issues. Following are some sound-bites from the delegates' presentation to the main conference, and an outline of the project's philosophy, objectives and next steps:

» Connecting With Current Events (:22)
» Learning and Leading (:30)
» Age Is No Barrier (:23)

 

About DIGS, Daughters of International Girls' Schools

By Forum Delegate Chengetai M., Durban Girls' High School, South Africa

 
Over lunch the other delegates and I saw the need to ignite awareness about women's issues around the world. We wanted to spread the web of the experience that we had been granted and we saw the need for better communication, thus DIGS was born.

1. Vision:

• To unite and educate girls across the world

2. Mission Statement:

• Create awareness of girls' issues
• Encourage girls to follow their passions
• Create an international bond of sisterhood
• Initiate women's leadership

3. Immediate Practical Goal:

• Start a local DIGS chapter

Call a meeting during a lunch break (or even an assembly), at the meeting introduce some the painful realities some women face in the world. For example, the genocide of Sudanese women and children and the lack of women in fields such as science and mathematics. It would be nice if the presenter could use visual aids. The aim is not to frighten the learners but to bring home their responsibility to other woman and society. At the end of the presentation, ask the learners for their thoughts and opinions and whether they want to do something about it.

At the second meeting ask the learners to divide themselves into the following groups (Feel free to change the names of the groups. My friends and I simply found these amusing.)

         Awareness Apples

The role of this part of the group is to find interesting global issues that affect woman or that woman have created that affect the world and bring them forward for discussion. They should maintain a notice board and put interesting comments in places like the cafeteria or restrooms. The content of the notice board need only change every 2 weeks. It would also be fruitful if a videoconference with a school across the globe could be organized.  Imagine discussing the affects of culture on the role of women, with a school in India or South Africa were culture continues to dictate the societies view of what a woman's role is.

         Action Accelerators

The role of this group is to ensure that the club is maintained and that any project that is initiated is completed. An exercise that would be rewarding to maintain, is an evening meeting with another girls' school, were an inspiring speaker is invited or the girls present any poignant issues that they have come across.  The Action Accelerators are the co-coordinators of these events.

         Financial Fundis (slang term for a group of geniuses)

DIGS is not necessarily a fundraising body but should aim to support existing organizations. This group should keep abreast with organizations such as a local AIDS hospice or shelter for the homeless, and think of innovative ways of assisting them. This group also should bring financial issues to the discussions.

         Science Scorpions

The role of this group is to give the school a passport to the world of science and technology.  They should try to find as many scientific projects, competitions and news as possible. If a science club does not already exist they should start one. They should also be on the look out for interesting science speakers to present at DIGS Evenings.

 

More Aware of the World We're Living In

By Emily C., The Study, Quebec, Canada

Shortly after exams finished last year, Ms. Elizabeth Falco, Head of School, and I flew to Boston to attend the annual conference held by the National Coalition of Girls' Schools (NCGS), this year hosted by The Winsor School. Eleven girls and myself were invited to take part in the International Girls' Forum, attending the main conference as guests. The day before the official conference started, we went on a Duck tour, during which an amphibious boat/truck drove us around Boston, introducing us to the city's history while humorously teaching us how to "quack" at onlookers. That night we bonded over dinner at the well-known Union Oyster House.

 

The next morning, the twelve of us took part in SOAR (Sports Offer Amazing Rewards), a workshop presented by Diane Cutaia, Director of Athletics, Wheelock College. She presented us with a brief history of women in sports, showing us how women have used sports all over the world to gain respect, rights and freedoms. However, the most important thing that she taught me is that for any given circumstance, proving yourself is nowhere near as important as improving yourself.

 

The girls that I met attending this conference are amazing people. Seven girls from across the United States attended, as well as two from Australia, two from South Africa, and myself. I found myself surrounded by a talkative, opinionated and passionate group of young women. Feminism was a greatly discussed topic between the girls. Some admitted that they were afraid to call themselves feminists, worried that people would think they were 'anti-men'. We soon realized that, contradictory to this stereotype, we believe that we are equal, deserving equal treatment and opportunities.

 

Two of the 'Breakout Sessions' that I attended were focused on Robotics and Engineering. During both, speakers explained how they started robotics clubs in their schools, the obstacles they had to overcome and the projects they had completed. Since I am hoping to start up a robotics club this fall, their advice was particularly relevant, and encouraged me to continue with my endeavour.

 
The presentation that affected me the most focused on the current situation of Darfur. During lunch that day, several of us admitted that we were unaware of the severity of the situation, and some had never even heard of it. This led us to realize how little knowledge we had of current events, in our own countries as well as around the world. We realized that such knowledge is one of the most important things one should have, and yet most of us admitted to rarely finding the time to watch the news or even glance at a newspaper. We decided that leaving the conference, we would all make an effort to keep ourselves up to date, as well as spreading the news to our peers whenever possible, so that in the future we can be more aware of the world we're living in.

 
The few days I spent at the NCGS conference were the most eye-opening experience of my life. When I was with the other students at the conference, I realized that even though we live in very different places, surrounded by different cultures, we were still able to connect over our schools, our opinions, and our passions. I realized not only how lucky I am to be learning in an all-girls environment, but how lucky I am to be learning in a peaceful country, where women are encouraged to go to school and are able to follow their dreams.