We hear about all these festivals and see all the promotions of enjoyment but we never highlight the festivals that bring about change in the world. It is possible to have fun while gaining some valuable information that you will leave with at the end of the day, that may change your life.
I’m talking about the Global Citizen Festival people. This year 2022 marks their ten year anniversary. “Global Citizen is the world’s largest movement of action takers and impact makers dedicated to ending extreme poverty NOW. The voices of millions of Global Citizens around the world are driving lasting change towards sustainability, equality, and humanity by taking action every day.” Global Citizen highlights the disparities women and children face due to poverty. The goal of Global Citizen is to take action and raise money to change and impact the lives of the less fortunate.
A major cause focused on is the childcare crisis where women suffer the shorthand because of their gender, lacking equal opportunities for education and work because they are forced to spend their time doing unpaid labor and domestic work. The goal of Global Citizen is to push for gender equality and empower women to have their voices heard, and to have the same access to opportunities and resources as their male counterparts.
Period poverty, a public health crisis, affecting women worldwide is a cause Global Citizen has spread awareness on to make sure all women and girls don’t have to suffer from poor hygiene due to lack of education on the menstrual cycle and lack of resources to live in good health. “In alignment with Global Citizen’s 2022 campaign to Empower Girls NOW, the key objective for our project was to support girls to better manage their periods, provide free sanitary products, particularly more eco-friendly period products such as reusable cloth pads and menstrual cups, and advocate for better menstrual health education and policies.” “Period poverty refers to the social, economic, political, and cultural barriers to menstrual products, education, and sanitation.”
The ultimate goal is to stop the shame associated with the menstrual cycle which is a shame that only affects women and oppresses them for something that is natural.
Till this day women are fighting for equality in everything. We can’t say women are equal and have the same freedom to live as men when there is a festival that exists focusing on impact and change for women and the girl child.