Earlier this week Beyonce premiered the video for her latest single “Run the World (Girls)” on American Idol. The song asks the rhetorical question “Who runs the world?” with the bold response being GIRLS.
At The Women’s Foundation, that message is part of what drives our work. Empowered girls become empowered women. Empowered women uplift themselves, their families, and their community. And the outcomes of girls who are not given the opportunity to reach their potential are disheartening.
Research from our recent report 2010 Portrait of Women & Girls in the Washington Metropolitan Area shows that girls in the metro area who do not earn a high school diploma will potentially earn three times less than women with a graduate or professional degree. That’s why we work with amazing Grantee Partners like Community Bridges, Crittenton Services, Beacon House, and The Campagna Center, among many others. These organizations focus on providing girls with role models, mentors and opportunities to overcome their circumstances.
Our hope is that the girls of the Washington metropolitan area will be able to fend for themselves on the figurative battlefield presented in Beyonce’s video. Rather than a post-apocalyptic world, we want DC-area girls to be able to stand their ground professionally, socially and personally.
So Beyonce, I say thank you for this song and its powerful message. You should come to our Annual Leadership Luncheon on October 19th and experience our truly inspiring, vibrant gathering of women and men from all corners of the community.
Lena Peterson is the Development Associate at Washington Area Women’s Foundation.
