Gina Kelly, Aer Arann Posted on October 12, 2023 by manager

Gina 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 Plan Ireland’s “Because I am Girl” campaign is an excellent way of raising awareness and giving a voice to women throughout the world who unfortunately cannot speak for themselves.  Here Gina gives us an insight into her world as a girl…

Because I am a Girl I ask … that no girl looks at another girl with prejudice, malice, hatred or disrespect. We may look different from each other, be it as a result of race, disability, economic circumstance or culture, but in reality we’re all the same so we should respect each other.

Because I am a Girl I believe … that I will never understand the offside rule or the male obsession with fantasy football! And I never want to. Similarly, I don’t expect boys to understand the happiness that a new pair of shoes can bring a girl, even on her worst day.  For me, this is gender equality – not that we are equal in our values, but rather that we appreciate and respect each other’s strengths and values and support each other with our weaknesses.

Because I am a Girl I hope … that my beautiful god-daughter grows up to experience nothing but happiness, friendship, love and respect, and that all those who meet her will see her for the wonderful little person she is, and look past the stereotype that people with Downs Syndrome are often affiliated with.

Because I am a Girl I wonder … what kind of person I would have turned out to be had I not been dragged to mass on Sundays and forced to eat my vegetables as a child! I wonder what I would be like today had I not been lucky enough to be brought up by parents who taught me to always respect others and be thankful for what I have.

Because I am a Girl I dream …because I can. I am fortunate to live in an affluent world where I am loved, respected and safe. My dreams are full of future happiness and success because I have never known otherwise, unlike the 900 million women and girls throughout the world in poverty who cannot dream like I do, simply because they have no idea what it’s like to hope and dream.

Because I am a Girl I remember … that it’s not just makeup and stylish clothes that make us girls look good. Beauty comes from within and if you feel good on the inside it shows on the outside. So be it helping another person, or learning to take better care of our own health and well being, anything that gives us positive feelings from within will ultimately reflect on the outside.

Because I am a Girl I like … being one of the girls! Whether it’s a glass of wine and a gossip with my very best friends, or a cup of tea with my mom and sister, there is no better therapy than sharing a problem with someone who listens and can understand.

Because I am a Girl I dislike … having to worry about walking or getting a taxi home alone and feeling vulnerable because in reality the world is not a safe place, particularly for women.

Because I am a Girl I feel … that it’s OK to cry over movies or Grey’s Anatomy; to be in a ‘mood’ for no reason; to postpone a date because X Factor is on; to justify eating that bar of chocolate because I walked rather than drove to work that day; to read my horoscope and secretly believe it; to not feel guilty for spending the last of my wages on a new pair of shoes; to want to be looked after yet be completely independent; to live the life I want and not conform to what my culture, peers and society expects of me, simply because that is the norm.

Because I am a Girl I … have particular admiration for women throughout the world that are out there trying to make a difference. From celebrity ambassadors to the millions of aid workers and volunteers, such as those in Plan Ireland, that devote their time to helping others, often endangering their own lives to do so, they are an inspiration and a credit to us girls.

- Gina Kelly