Empower a Girl,
Transform a Community
Dervla Burke is a member of the band Crystal Swing who shot to fame last year because of a video put up on youtube. Dervla is 18 years old and a 6th year student of St. Marys High School in Midleton, Co. Cork. She has been on every radio show and on TV shows such [...]
Continue ReadingDil Wickremasinghe is a Social Entrepreneur and Media Activist whose vision is to create an inclusive and equal Ireland. She is Managing Director of Diversity & Equality Works – established in 2006 and specializes in delivering diversity, disability and equality training and consultancy services to the private, public and voluntary sector. Dil is also [...]
Continue ReadingShiera O’Brien runs her own training company, Zenith Training and Development. Her vision is to help companies enjoy business more through a combination of training sessions that get people thinking differently about how they do what they do. “If it’s not working, why are you still doing it?” she asks. Through higher levels of awareness, [...]
Continue ReadingBecause I am a Girl I ask… myself to be sensitive to others.She is currently directing a theatrical production of A Christmas Pageant to be performed in Cork and Kinsale. Yvonne is also collaborating on a dance project, designing workshops for older people, and directing and producing film with Rebelz Picturz. Because I am a [...]
Continue ReadingHayley Colloty grew up in South Africa, arriving in Ireland in 2001. She is a devoted mother to her seven year old son. Having written an award winning short story, she is currently a Journalism student at Colaiste Dhulagh in Dublin. Because I am a Girl I ask… that all our children are taught how [...]
Continue ReadingAnna Aparicio is Ireland’s first NLP/NHR Specialist Coach and a Self-image & Confidence Expert. She uses Neuro-linguistic Programming and Neuro-hypnotic Repatterning to help boost your confidence and motivation, lose weight, get rid of fears etc. Since Anna’s humble beginnings in a small town in northern Spain, she has come a long way. An “A” student [...]
Continue ReadingDebbie Hargaden is a member of Legato Singers, a 6-part female vocal harmony group. She has been singing and performing regularly since she re-discovered her vocal skills in 2004 and can be found singing, clapping and whooping at any event that requires music and energy! The members of Legato have sung together for a number [...]
Continue ReadingCarol Ann Casey is Managing Director of CA Consulting Limited (www.caconsulting.ie), a human resource compliance business. Her focus is on HR auditing and best practice HR management as well as on dispute investigation and resolution. She is currently a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, an ambassador of the Dublin Chamber of [...]
Continue ReadingOrla Strumble is Head of Marketing for the Irish Greyhound Board, who she has worked with for over five years. Because I am a Girl I ask… my friends for advice – no matter how old I get I still value their opinions – some of whom I have been friends with since childhood. It [...]
Continue ReadingFiona Roche, 27 and a graduate from DCU, BSc in Financial and Actuarial Mathematics. She works as an ETF trader for a trading firm in Dublin called Susquehanna International Group, and have been there for 6 years. In her spare time she does a bit of running, and she completed her first marathon in Dublin [...]
Continue ReadingJacqueline McBrien works as a consultant paediatrician and has a special interest in community child health and children’s development. She is a graduate of University College Galway and has a Masters in Child Health from Cardiff University. She with her husband and two daughters sponsor a girl in Mali. She spent some time working in [...]
Continue ReadingJulia Lynes is 29 years of age and lives in Cork. She has a Degree in European Studies from UCC and for the past 6 years has run her own business EazyCork & EazyDublin providing flexible accommodation solutions in both cities. She is the incoming President of Network Cork which is a networking group for [...]
Continue ReadingMary Davis is Managing Director of Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia. She is the former CEO of Special Olympics Ireland and prior to that she served as Chief Executive Officer for the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games. Currently she serves on many committees and boards, established a number of voluntary organisations and was appointed by the [...]
Continue ReadingEdel Clancy is Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs for Musgrave Group. Prior to joining Musgrave in 2006, Edel was global head of internal communication for Lucent Technologies based in the UK. A native of Limerick, Edel was educated in Ireland, the United States and Belgium where she later spent six years as a European [...]
Continue ReadingYvonne’s first novel, The Other Boy was published by Hachette in May 2010, and she is currently working on her second which will be published next year. When she finds the time, she loves to travel and spends a lot of time in Brooklyn, New York. Another recent adventure was to Hawley Mountain Ranch, Montana [...]
Continue ReadingNote from Plan Ireland: Since this blog was first posted, Kate Fitzgerald has sadly passed away. Kate’s passion, dedication and creativity shine through her own words in the blog. We remember Kate through these words; her hopes for strength through adversity, her gratefulness for opportunities she had been given, her endless dreaming, unselfish loving and [...]
Continue ReadingDee O’Brien is a marketing consultant. Having worked for start-ups, SME’s, PLC’s to Global & not-for-profit organizations for 12 years, she set up DO Marketing (www.domarketing.ie) in 2007 providing straightforward marketing expertise from short term assignments, once off events and marketing campaigns, working together with some of the best agencies and freelance talents in Dublin. [...]
Continue ReadingDolores Keaveneylives in Mullingar with her husbond John and has been an amateur watercolour artist for almost 30 years, painting mostly flowers. She has three children and four grandchildren and enjoys many interests; painting, gardening- and book club and walking. She has a keen interest in the spiritual side of life and is a [...]
Continue ReadingNiamh Hennessy is a business journalist with the Irish Examiner. She has been working with the Irish Examiner for the last five years and has also worked as Chief Reporter with the Irish Post in London. She has a degree in Government and Public Policy from UCC and spent time working at an intern in [...]
Continue ReadingNicola Cooke is 30 years old, from Galway. She went to college in UL & DCU and has a MA in Journalism. Nicola has worked as a News Reporter at the Sunday Business Post for almost five years - her fourth newspaper. In 2009 the young writer won Transport Journalist of the Year as the first [...]
Continue Readinghas worked as a copywriter, freelance journalist and is an award-winning short story writer. Henrietta McKervey Her design for living is pretty much summed up by the Morecambe & Wise song ‘Bring Me Sunshine’. Because I am a Girl I ask… that no woman ever waste her vote. It was hard-enough won. Because I am [...]
Continue ReadingAngharad Williams is a Welsh-Irish journalist based in Dublin and is the Web Content Manager of Ireland’s Premier Fashion and Beauty website, iVenus.com. Born to an Irish mother and Welsh father she is a fluent Welsh speaker. She spent three years in London working as a music journalist before heading to Dublin to return to [...]
Continue ReadingHelen Soraghan Dwyer is a Dublin based writer. She is Chairperson of the Irish Writers’ Union. Helen was recently appointed a director on the board of Dublin South FM Community Radio Station. She produces and presents a weekly radio arts programme, Rhyme & Reason, for Dublin South FM. Her poetry and prose have been published [...]
Continue ReadingColette Fitzpatrick is one of Ireland’s most experienced live television presenters. She has been working in the TV3 newsroom since March 2001 and currently hosts the Midday show, presents daily news bulletins at 5:30 and anchors the prime time current affairs show Midweek every Wednesday evening. Originally from Holycross, Thurles, Co Tipperary, Colette previously worked [...]
Continue ReadingDara McClatchie is a producer working and living in Dublin and is MD of Big Fish Productions. She studied film at the DIT and recently completed an MA in International Relations in her spare time. She has worked all over the world filming for and with clients on all five continents. She [...]
Continue ReadingLaura McGonigle is a Cork City Councillor, a Former Deputy Lord Mayor of her native City and a member of the Fine Gael Party. One of the youngest councillors ever to sit on Cork City Council, she has recently declared her intention to seek a Dáil nomination. Earlier this year she won Best Blog [...]
Continue ReadingMelanie O’Sullivan is the Sales & Marketing Manager at Radio Kerry. She has been with the station since 1995. As well as the commercial remit of Radio Kerry Melanie has been involved in the set up of two Radio Kerry fundraising organisations; the Kerry Christmas Appeal & the Radio Kerry Community Fund. [...]
Continue ReadingAisling Kennedy is the Staff Editor of Woman’s Way magazine and writes many regular features for the magazine from Consumer and Travel issues to Makeovers and Cover interviews. Along with being one of the main features writers she’s also the Picture Editor of the magazine. Aisling travelled to Haiti in April this [...]
Continue ReadingBláthnaid Ní Chofaigh is an Irish TV presenter, born in Canada. She has presented shows such as The Afternoon Show, Echo Island and the People in Need Telethon on RTÉ Television. She is married with four children and currently lives in Dublin. Blathnaid is Plan Ireland’s Ambassador for Girls and she is particularily motivated [...]
Continue ReadingMary White is an Irish Green Party politician. She was elected to Dáil Éireann at the 2007 general election making her the first female TD elected for the Green party and for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency. White was born in County Wicklow, educated at the Ursuline Convent, Waterford and Trinity College, Dublin. On [...]
Continue ReadingKat Fleming is lead singer with pop/electro project “Nyla Jay”. Hailing originally from Co. Wexford, she was for many years a member of a local award winning musical society. At the tender age of 16, Kat released her first E.P. in her native Wexford which went on to receive nationwide airplay. Later to become [...]
Continue ReadingNessa Childersis an Irish Labour Party politician who is currently a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the East constituency. She has an Arts and Psychology degree from Trinity College, Dublin, and a postgraduate diploma from University College Dublin. She is the daughter of the fourth President of Ireland, Erskine H. Childers and [...]
Continue ReadingJannie Oeberg is a 26-year old Dane studying journalism at the Danish School of Media and Journalism. As a part of her education she moved to Dublin two months ago and is now a Media Intern with Plan Ireland. Before she moved abroad she worked as a Journalist on the biggest weekly magazine in Denmark, [...]
Continue ReadingLaura Whitmore is a young television presenter for MTV Europe. She was born in Dublin and went to study journalism in Dublin City University, Ireland, with a semester abroad at Boston University (BU) in the US. In April 2008 she won ‘Pick Me MTV‘ - a search to find a new presenter to [...]
Continue ReadingEmma Buckley is a well known personality who divides her time between Ireland and America. She started her career here as co-host of the national morning show, “Ireland AM” on TV3 and then went on to become a news anchor. Since moving to the US in 2006 Emma has primarily been working with the award [...]
Continue ReadingGina Kelly has been in PR and Communications for six years, having worked for some of Ireland’s best known brands including Meteor and currently Aer Arann. Over the course of her career she has been involved with many Irish charities, working to promote their mission and brand. She believes passionately in the power of communication, and believes that [...]
Continue ReadingKatrina Wardell is originally from San Diego, California, but has spent the last year in Dublin working on her Master’s degree in international development and peace building at Trinity College. She has development field work experience in Namibia and Tanzania, and interned at the American Civil Liberties Union in San Francisco during her final year [...]
Continue ReadingMairead McGuinness is Fine Gael MEP for Ireland East. Elected as an MEP in June 2004 Mairead topped the poll with one in every four votes cast in the Ireland East constituency. She was re-elected in June 2009 with another poll-topping result and was the only candidate in Ireland to be elected on the first [...]
Continue ReadingÁine Toner is editor of Woman’s Way magazine. When she’s not watching the soaps for WW and Ireland AM, she indulges in her pastimes of books and handbags in equal measure. Here, she talks equality, education… and wedding cake. Because I am a Girl I ask… for a safe and secure health system that would [...]
Continue ReadingSarah Waldron is a journalist, blogger and gal about town. She is a contributor to The Cork Independent, where she writes a weekly fashion column. Sarah also has a blog, The Licentiate where she jots down various personal style musings. Sarah recently returned from London Fashion Week, which she describes as intimidating and exhilarating all [...]
Continue ReadingDeirdre Reynolds is one of Ireland’s busiest freelance feature writers. Covering a spectrum of topics she regularly writes for national broadsheet and tabloid newspapers including the Irish Independent, Irish Examiner and Sunday World. She is also Deputy Editor of the new website Wedding Style. She is also a familiar face and voice on TV and radio, appearing [...]
Continue ReadingSenator Ivana Bacik is the Reid Professor of Criminal Law, Criminology and Penology at Trinity College Dublin (previously held by Mary Robinson and President Mary McAleese). She is a Senior Lecturer and also a Fellow of Trinity College (elected in 2005), and a practising barrister. Ivana was elected to the Seanad in 2007 and is [...]
Continue ReadingTriona McCarthy is a qualified beauty therapist and makeup artist and one of Ireland’s most respected and renowned cosmetic industry professionals. Her weekly column in the Sunday Independent’s LIFE magazine has a cult following. Having also worked in the fashion industry as a buyer and designer Triona is as close to the cloth as to [...]
Continue ReadingChára Nagle, a classically trained, NCAD educated artist, has been acclaimed as one of Ireland’s greatest new talents. Her style is Modern Romantic, bold and dramatic. There is consistently an element of intrigue and humour in Chara’s work, which is housed in many private collections around the world. She is currently finishing her next solo [...]
Continue ReadingDoreen O’ Mahony is a PR Consultant based in Cork but originally from West Cork. Having three sisters and having gone to boarding school in Rosscarbery, West Cork, she is well placed to understand the role of women in society. Doreen is delighted to be a guest blogger on the Because I am a Girl [...]
Continue ReadingDeirdre O’Shaughnessy is Editor of the Cork Independent newspaper. As well as occupying the top job she also writes about current affairs, politics and media and is a regular contributor on Newstalk radio. This year she travelled to Haiti to help with the relief effort and reported extensively about her experience. Her personal blog can [...]
Continue ReadingBenedicta Attoh is Plan Ireland’s ‘Because I am a Girl’ Ambassador. Earlier this year she won Vodafone’s World of Difference campaign, where Vodafone will pay her salary to work with Plan Ireland for a year. Check out this video to hear Benedicta talking about her new role. Because I am a Girl I [...]
Continue ReadingVirginia Macari, a fashion designer and television personality, was born in Dublin to Italian parents. She has designed for some of the biggest celebrities in the world and has been featured in British Vogue and many of the leading publications in Ireland. Virginia has also appeared in many television shows in Ireland and Italy [...]
Continue ReadingMarisa Mackle is one of Ireland’s best known and successful authors. She has written 10 books, including Chinese Whispers, So Long Mr. Wrong and the No1. Irish bestseller Mr. Right for the Night.
Continue ReadingBlog by Annmarie O’Connor , who is arguably one of Ireland’s foremost fashion writers. She’s worked with the likes of The Irish Examiner, The Sunday Times Style, RTE, TV3, Dazed and Confused, Elle, Trace, Image, The Dubliner and The Irish Independent and runs the hugely popular iblogfashion.blogspot.com
Continue ReadingPlan Ireland, the overseas children’s charity, has launched its fourth annual ‘Because I am a Girl’ report. The overall aim of the series of reports is to highlight the lack of rights and equality that girls experience in the developing world. Plan has invited a host of Irish women from areas such as politics, fashion, [...]
Continue ReadingTell us what it means
to you to be a girl
I can vote and be myself and be successful. If you educate a man you educate a man if you educate a woman you educate a generation.
all boys and men appear to be more important, know more, and have to have needs sorted, first- food, washing, the basics - loo cleaning, etc. We must stop doing it, full stop. I bet Orla Leyden still does all her family housework (no offence at all - just making a point) x
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