Girl Up DHMUN is a new humanitarian-focused club that raises awareness for women’s rights and has a goal to raise money for girls in developing nations. Headed by Spencer Babcock ’17, the club hosts biweekly lunch discussions about topics pertaining to women globally.
Most recently, Common Ground was filled with students eager to share their thoughts on domestic abuse, especially focusing on the recent controversy with the NFL. In talking about such issues, Girl Up’s mission is to educate the Dana community about problems women are facing worldwide. “This opportunity is something different. Girl Up and its partnership with The Oprah Winfrey School makes this club truly unique in its global perspective,” says Babcock. Babcock and Ms. Heather Panahi, advisor of the Model UN team, started the club at the beginning of the school year.
One of the club’s first events was sponsoring Girl Hero cards. “Girl Hero cards brought lot of positivity and encouragement to the Dana Community,” says Spencer. Girl Hero cards were given out at lunch for several weeks and were delivered by members of the Model UN team to students. These cards included kind and cheerful messages, with girls thanking those in the community that have impacted their lives. The Girl Hero cards reflect the supportive environment that Girl Up aims to foster for girls in the Dana community and beyond.
Saturday, October 18, Girl Up club members hosted a showing of Girl Rising, a documentary about global gender inequality. Babcock remarked, “many girls came, and it was great to see everyone engaged and interested in learning more about global women’s issues.” The film covered many of the issues that have and will be covered in the meetings this year. Ryland Rich ’18 found the video to be informative and inspiring. She comments, “Girl Rising was interesting in that we were able to see the story of girls worldwide and the struggles they face. It was inspiring because no matter what situation they are in, they have power for themselves even if other people in the world don’t see it.” The club will continue educating the Dana community in the upcoming months.
