Our CEO Jessica Posner Odede has recently been interviewed by Emily Ferguson for Marie Claire’s ‘Women Who Win’ feature. Reflecting on her journey to becoming Girl Effect’s CEO,  Jessica talks about the challenges girls face growing up and how we use the power of media to ensure that girls have access to the information and support they need to make choices about their future.

“Media plays a crucial role in achieving gender equality, from changing perceptions and sparking household conversation, to offering positive and relatable role models and normalising “taboo” subjects. In many of the countries across Africa and Asia that Girl Effect operates in, there is simply no media aimed at adolescent girls where they can see themselves represented, so we build the media that girls want, trust and need.”

Jessica also talks about the opportunity to use technology to reach girls and link them to the services they want and need. Working with partners like Vodafone Foundation and Gavi (the Vaccine Alliance), Girl Effect’s content ensures girls know services exist, understand the value to them in the context of their life and access the service – such as getting a vaccine or visiting a health clinic.

“Having partners that champion your ability to test and learn as well as focussing on behaviour change outcomes is so important. We know we can take our expertise from highly successful analogue brands and media and transition to a more digital approach, we are already seeing the impact, to do that you need true partners. People who allow you to test, trial, sometimes fail and then test again. Already we’re connecting 10.1m girls with content that helps them make choices and changes in their lives – like negotiating condom use with their partners or and accessing contraception when they need it.”

Read the full interview here.