Malala Yousafzai, Beyoncé, Arianna Huffington and Danai Gurira Pledge Support and Stand in Solidarity with Women around the World

Washington, D.C.—Advocates and local civic leaders across the United States joined The ONE Campaign and thousands of worldwide supporters today in a global day of action to show their solidarity with women and girls and to fight for justice and against poverty and sexism. In coordination with events that took place in Austin, Boston and Chicago today, The ONE Campaign released a brand new song called “Strong Girl,” a rallying cry to empower girls and women everywhere.

The ONE Campaign, an organization founded to fight extreme poverty, released the track and music video as part of its Poverty is Sexist campaign, a movement to highlight how women and girls are often unjustly and disproportionately affected by extreme poverty.

Nine artists from seven African countries—Victoria Kimani (Kenya), Judith Sephuma (South Africa), Waje (Nigeria), Vanessa Mdee (Tanzania), Arielle T (Gabon), Gabriela (Mozambique), Yemi Alade (Nigeria), Blessing (South Africa) and Selomor Mtukudzi (Zimbabwe)—came together in South Africa earlier this month to write and record the “Strong Girl” track. They were joined by Nollywood superstar actress and activist Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, who stars in the video.

“I am fortunate to be a young woman living her dreams, a trailblazer of my generation,” said Omotola Jalade Ekeinde. “But I also recognize that many women and girls are not so fortunate; women and girls are disproportionately affected by the injustice of poverty and inequality. But when we invest in women and girls, we increase and accelerate the chances of overcoming extreme poverty.”

Bono, lead singer of U2 and ONE’s co-founder said, “A band of phenomenal African women have taken control of the mic to tell the world that poverty is sexist. For too long, the voices of African girls and women have been silenced. But there’s no muffling this track. A change has begun and ONE wants to be the wind at its back. It‘s a thrill to witness this evolution but also to cheer on these great artists as they take centre stage with a call to action the whole world needs to hear. We will never achieve that great global goal of ending extreme poverty if we don’t admit it- poverty is sexist – and demand policies which deliver equality.” He then joked, “I suggested doing backing vocals… they didn’t take me up on the offer… instead they asked me to write the press release… so here I am.”

“Strong Girl” and this day of action kicked off the second phase of ONE’s Poverty is Sexist campaign, with participants across the globe, including Malala Yousafzai, Beyoncé, Arianna Huffington, Danai Gurira, and thousands of ONE members worldwide, showing solidarity by sharing a #strengthie — a selfie that pays homage to the iconic “Rosie the Riveter” image of female empowerment and a “We Can Do It!” attitude.

Danai Gurira, activist, award winning playwright and lead actress from “The Walking Dead” is backing the campaign by sharing a strengthie. She said, “Girls and women in the poorest countries get a raw deal.  It’s time for the world to stand alongside them and demand better. We must give every girl a chance to go to school and to live a healthy life. Let’s knock down the barriers that prevent so many women from reaching their economic potential.”

The campaign calls for action following the results of the Poverty is Sexist report, recently released by The ONE Campaign. In the report, ONE found that in the poorest countries, girls and women are worse off across virtually every single measure of well-being and opportunity. In these countries, the gender gap is greatest and girls and women are prevented from reaching their full potential.

Laurie Moskowitz, Senior Director Campaigns for North America, added, “The Poverty is Sexist movement is about standing up for girls and women worldwide and pushing world leaders, including President Obama, to put them at the heart of this year’s major global summits, which will set the development agenda for a generation. With this global day of action and through our images of strength and solidarity, ONE will show our decision makers that people worldwide are asking them to support girls and women.”

This year provides a radical opportunity to tackle the Poverty is Sexist agenda with new Global Goals (the Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs), which will set the development agenda for the next 15 years. To be truly transformative, the goals must focus on the countries and the people that are worst off, and that includes girls and women. Evidence shows that investing in girls and women helps their families, communities and whole economies too.

Stressing the urgency of action in 2015, Roxane Philson, ONE’s Chief Marketing Officer said,

“It’s time to stand up for the girl denied an education or forced into marriage; for the mother threatened with death when she gives life; for the woman who isn’t allowed to own the land she farms. This song and all of the support for it is a rally cry to world leaders to have the courage to stand up for the rights of girls and women everywhere.”

ONE’s call to action is already backed by more than 36 of the world’s most influential women, including Beyoncé, Meryl Streep, Lady Gaga, Angelique Kidjo and other leading women from the worlds of business, arts, politics and activism. These women helped launch the Poverty is Sexist campaign this past International Women’s Day by penning an open letter to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and African Union Commission Chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who will both host crucial summits in the coming months that should set the world on a path to agreeing to Global Goals that put women’s empowerment at their heart.

ONE is a member of action/2015, a global citizens’ movement calling for pivotal change in 2015.