In 1995, Kenyan civil society members went to Beijing for the Fourth World Conference on Women. Amid discussions of poverty, health, violence, and education, they encouraged delegates to consider the unique experience of the girl child. They knew that issues like child marriage, female genital mutilation, and lack of access to education were all too real for girls they knew and girls around the world. When they left Beijing in September of 1995, these women had the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which outlined nine objectives for work related to the girl child. They also had a plan for making these objectives a reality in East Africa: create a unified and informed network of organizations and individuals working with girls. For the next three years, they built these connections along with a strong, field-tested knowledge base. In 1998, Girl Child Network officially registered as an NGO in Kenya. Soon after, in 2000, one of the original visionaries came to work for GCN full time. Mercy Musomi is still our Executive Director today. She has never stopped dreaming—or sharing her dream—of a brighter future for girls in East Africa. Since then, we have grown from a staff of one to a staff of 33. In addition to facilitating a network of over 300 organizations, we also directly implement projects that empower girls to learn and lead. We’ve used our expertise in gender and child rights to carry out research and influence policy. Over 20 years later, the girls we know are still inspiring us to build a world that’s better for all children.
