Plan International celebrates International Women's Day with 'Empower Girls. Change the Future' campaign
Global campaign drives action for girls' education, leadership and equality with a call to action: 'Her Future Starts Now.'
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| Three generations of African women smiling and embracing, dressed in vibrant traditional clothing. Their connection symbolizes resilience, leadership and the power of investing in girls' education and economic opportunities. This International Women’s Day, Plan International is partnering to ensure every girl can learn, lead, decide and thrive. | © Plan International |
WASHINGTON, March 6, 2025 -- To celebrate
International Women's Day,
Plan International has launched its "Empower Girls. Change the Future" campaign in partnership with Paramount and KFC. This initiative champions education and leadership opportunities for girls worldwide, ensuring they can learn, lead, decide and thrive.
The need for action is urgent. The global gender equality gap is now projected to take 137 years to close — three years longer than in 2024, signaling a troubling reversal of progress. Without intervention, girls will continue to face barriers that limit their potential. Plan works alongside girls to remove obstacles and create pathways to leadership.
"Girls need our support now more than ever. When we invest in their education and leadership, we're not just changing their futures — we're changing the world," said Shanna Marzilli, president and CEO of Plan International USA. "Through our partnerships, we're giving girls the tools to overcome barriers and lead with confidence."
Paramount – Championing girls' education and equality
Plan and Paramount have partnered since 2015 to raise awareness about girls' education and equal opportunities. Building on this long-term collaboration, they have once again joined forces for International Women's Day. Nickelodeon released exclusive content featuring beloved bilingual explorer
Dora, who speaks directly to grown-ups about the importance of girls' education and equal opportunities.
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the story started on International Day of the Girl 2024, when Plan and Paramount distributed backpacks filled with school supplies to young people in Cambodia, Mexico, Nepal, Ukraine and Zimbabwe. Inspired by Dora's iconic purple backpack, these backpacks symbolize the tools needed for learning and adventure, giving girls the resources they need to stay in school and pursue their dreams.
Paramount and Plan also continue to amplify girls' voices through the
8M Infinito campaign on MTV in 2025 across Latin America, reinforcing its commitment to gender equality.
KFC's Girl Takeovers – Leading with confidence
KFC partners with Plan to create pathways to leadership, education and employment for youth, especially girls and people with disabilities. This partnership supports KFC's commitment to promoting gender balance in leadership roles through its community impact strategy, Feeding People's Potential.
In February 2025, KFC hosted Girls Takeover events at two KFC corporate offices: Plano, Texas and Bangkok, Thailand. During these takeovers, girls stepped into leadership roles, including Chief People and Culture Officer and Chief Development Officer, challenging stereotypes and demonstrating their potential.
These inspiring moments will be shared on social media, amplifying girls' voices and encouraging others to support youth leadership.
Click here to learn how KFC is helping youth build skills and lead.
Campaign overview
The "Empower Girls. Change the Future" campaign showcases how education and leadership empower girls to shape their futures. Aligned with the global advocacy theme "Accelerate Action," it underscores the urgency of closing the gender gap so girls can learn, lead, decide and thrive.
Through strategic partnerships, impactful blogs and inspiring Girl Takeovers, the campaign highlights what's possible when girls have the support they need to lead. The #HerFutureStartsNow social media challenge encourages meaningful conversations about leadership and future goals, inviting people everywhere to join the movement.
About Plan International
Plan International is an international development and humanitarian nonprofit that advances children's rights and equality for girls. Working together with children, young people, supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of challenges children face. We are there from birth until adulthood, and we support children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity, while particularly focusing on the experiences of girls. With more than 85 years of experience, we work to transform lives in more than 80 countries. We won't stop until we are all equal.
Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian nonprofit that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child, but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.
Working together with children, young people, supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of challenges children face. We’re there from birth until adulthood, and we support children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity, while particularly focusing on the experiences of girls. We drive changes in practice and policy at the local, national and global levels using our reach, expertise and knowledge.
With more than 85 years of experience, we work to transform lives in over 80 countries.
We won’t stop until we are all equal.
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Originally published: March 07, 2025.
Official Plan International USA press release courtesy of PR Newswire.
