#Girl2Leader Campaign 2018

October 14, 2018 ♦

Bianca Dragan ♦

Smart

♦

(ROMANA)

E sambata seara…Imi beau ceaiul si reflectez asupra saptamanii pline care tocmai a trecut, asa ca m-am gandit sa va povestesc despre experienta mea #Girl2Leader. In 17 tari, pe 11 octombrie este celebrata Ziua Internationala a Fetelor prin conferinta #Girl2Leader – o campanie internationala organizata sub directiva organizatiei Women Political Leaders. Aceasta incurajeaza leadership-ul feminin prin a aduce laolalta femei din sfera politica, dar si fete tinere cu potential de leader.

In Romania, Campania #Girl2Leader a fost organizata in premiera de catre deputata independenta Oana Bizgan, care a extins campania pe parcursul a 4 zile. Au participat 30 de fete atent selectate din toata tara, cu varste cuprinse intre 14 si 17 ani. Eu, alaturi de alte 4 membre Girl Up Romania, am fost atat participanta, cat si in echipa de voluntari a Oanei!

Detaliile privind programul propriu-zis le puteti vedea in agenda, asadar nu voi insista sa va enumar toate activitatile din program. Luni, majoritatea fetelor au ajuns in Bucuresti si, imediat dupa ce au fost cazate, am fost primite sa luam cina la Ambasada Suediei. Ca voluntara, am fost responsabila cu o grupa de 5 fete, pe care le insoteam la Parlament, cazare sau in orice alta locatie. Faptul ca parcurgeam toate distantele lungi pe jos si cu metroul a fost destul de obositor, dar in acelasi timp ne mentinea in continua miscare. In a doua zi, am avut parte de o experienta de tip job-shadowing: fiecare participanta a fost delegata unei parlamentare, pe care a insotit-o prin comisii, Senat sau sedinte. Eu mi-am petrecut prima parte a zilei cu deputata Gabriela Podasca, alaturi de care am luat si pranzul pentru a discuta deschis despre activitatea ei, cum este sa fii femeie pe scena politica, dar si despre educatie si planurile mele de viitor. Pentru acea dupa amiaza si dimineata urmatoare ne fusesera pregatite trei ateliere despre egalitatea de sanse, comunicare si leadership in social media, respectiv implicare civila activa. Prin intermediul acestora, curiozitatea ne era sporita constant, iar fiecare era dornica sa puna cat mai multe intrebari. Ne exprimam liber punctele de vedere, dar le ascultam cu atentie si pe cele care nu ne apartineau, incercand sa ne largim orizonturile pe cat posibil.

De asemenea, trebuie sa punctez ca ocazia de a fi invitate la Palatul Cotroceni, pentru a avea o intalnire cu patru dintre consilierii Presedintelui, a fost unica. Inainte sa mergem la Cotroceni, am avut sansa de a privi procedura finala a votului in Plen de la balcon.

Experienta #Girl2Leader s-a incheiat prin live-streaming-ul conferintei, unindu-ne astfel cu fetele din celelalte tari participante, fiecare alegandu-si o reprezentata sa tina un discurs care a fost difuzat la Parlamentul European. La conferinta au fost invitate si o reprezentata de la Banca Mondiala, ambasadoarea Suediei si o reprezentanta UNICEF Romania. In urma participarii la aceasta initiativa, am devenit ambasadoare #Girl2Leader in propriile comunitati, preluand stafeta si organizand cu ajutorul Oanei un eveniment asemanator, la o scara locala.

(ENGLISH)

It’s Saturday evening…I’m drinking my tea and reflecting on the full week that just passed, so I thought to share my #Girl2Leader experience with you. October 11 marks the International Day of the Girl Child, which is celebrated in 17 countries through the #Girl2leader conference – a campaign developed by the Women Political Leaders organization. The campaign encourages female leadership by bringing together women in politics and young girls, that can potentially become leaders.

In Romania, the first edition of #Girl2Leader has been organized by Romanian MP Oana Bizgan, who extended the campaign to four days. 30 girls, aged 14-17, have been attentively selected from across the country to participate. I also participated and, alongside 4 other Girl Up Romania members, was on Oana’s team of volunteers! You can have a look at the details regarding the daily agenda just below, therefore I won’t insist on listing all of the activities again. Most of the girls arrived in Bucharest on Monday and, after they checked-in, we were welcomed with a dinner at the Swedish Embassy. Asw a volunteer, I was responsible with a group of 5 girls, which I had to guide to and from the locations. Having to walk in between the different venues and underground stations was quite exhausting, however it kept us alert and moving at all times. On the second day, we had a job-shadowing experience: each girl was assigned to a female member of parliament, having the opportunity to explore this career option and find out how their day unfolds. I was assigned to Gabriela Podasca, following her through meetings. At lunch, we exchanged ideas and I learned about her political activity, while she showed interest in my career plans. Three workshops were prepared for that afternoon and the following morning, concerning the topics of gender equality, social media leadership and active citizenship. These managed to spark our curiosity and questions were constantly flooding in. We expressed our points of view and listened to others, each girl being eager to expand their knowledge.

Moreover, receiving an invitation to Cotroceni Palace, where we had a talk with four of the President’s advisors, was a once in a lifetime opportunity. We also viewed the final vote session from our balcony seats!

Our #Girl2Leader experience came to an end after a live-stream of the conference, which united us with girls from nations across the globe, each country choosing a participant to hold a speech. The speeches were heard through the live-stream and were also projected at the European Parliament. Oana Bizgan invited World Bank and UNICEF representatives and the Swedish Ambassador as guests. Following the the campaign, each participant became one of the first #Girl2Leader ambassadors in Romania. Each girl now has the responsibility to conduct a similar campaign in their local communities, with the help of Oana and her team!