Search Results
Search results for
- Report & Resource
From the United Nations to the White House, 2023 was an incredible year for youth engagement at Plan International USA! In this report, we highlight just some of our amazing young people and their experiences in partnership with Plan USA. Youāll read about Planās Youth Leadership Academy, our Youth Advisory Board, Girl Takeovers and more.
- News & press
WASHINGTON, D.C. March 5, 2024 āĀ Plan International USA is investing in the women of tomorrow by supporting the girls of today on International Womenās Day. To celebrate the UNās International Womenās Day theme of #InvestinWomen, Plan is equipping girls with the skills they need through partnering, funding and elevating their voices.
Adolescence is a critical time of opportunity for girls, often shaping the adults they will later become. A study by Plan and the Citi Foundation found that achieving 100% upper secondary school graduation rates, known as high school in the U.S., for girls could lift national GDPs an average of 10% in many countries. However, our experience also tells us that education by itself isnāt enough. Gender stereotypes and lack of job training limit what girls think they can be and thus their economic potential. By providing girls with the skills they need to successfully enter the workforce, they become agents of change toward securing more prosperous and just economies.
āGender inequality and stereotypes tell girls that certain industries are off limits,ā Laura Willis, sr. director of corporate and foundation partnership, said. āAnd that limits her potential. We are celebrating investing in girls today because we know they hold the power for economic growth for themselves, their families and their communities.ā
Year-round, Planās skill and work programs equip girls for the careers they choose rather than the life path that society dictates, striving for a world where every girlās potential is realized. In 2022, Plan improved skills and work opportunities for more than 1,200,000 girls and young women globally. A key way we achieve this is through partnerships that support economic justice and rights for young people, such as our partnerships with Google.org, J.P Morgan, The Childrenās Place the and the Western Union Foundation.
Other ways we are celebrating International Womenās Day are with brands Marikmekko and UNIQLO. Marikmekko, a design house focused on fashion and home collections, is donating 20% off purchases sitewide and in its Marimekko NY store on March 8. These funds will be used to support Planās work with girls and young women around the world.
In partnership with UNIQLO, young people had the opportunity to share about the world they want to live in and are having their voices elevated. This took place through a multi-generational roundtable between members of Planās Youth Advisory Board and executives at UNIQLO. The conversation explored the question āwhat is the future working world we want for girls and young women?ā and discussed how investing in girls today can help achieve this future.
āYoung people have hopes and dreams and see the world in a different way,ā Lily, a youth advisory board member, said. āI am excited to use my voice on behalf of all girls and women, so we have a world with better representation, a world with people succeeding and supporting each other.ā
This International Womenās Day, Plan is celebrating actions that encourage the girl leaders of today and their dreams for tomorrow so they can challenge traditional barriers and think big about their futures. Join us in investing in the girls of today through donating to Plan and learning more about our skills and work programming.
For more information or interviews, please contact:
Maria Holsopple
Director, Communications & Creative Services
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 540.383.3628
Ā
About Plan International USA
Powered by supporters, Plan International USA partners with adolescent girls, young women and children around the world to overcome oppression and gender inequality. We provide the support and resources that are unique to their needs and the needs of their communities, ensuring they achieve their full potential with dignity, opportunity and safety. Founded in 1937, Plan is an independent development and humanitarian organization that is active in more than 80 countries.
For more information, and to learn about our commitment to safeguarding, please visit www.PlanUSA.org.
- Insights
This story was originally posted on the Department of Labor’s website.
Workers unloading catch at Mahachai pier in Samut Sakhon, Thailand.
“The good part is that it helps us adjust our thinking about how to work.”
An innovative project is creating a culture of responsible recruitment in the Thai seafood sector and empowering migrant laborers with access to critical information about their rights.
It was around midday when the two large trawlers docked at Mahachai pier in Samut Sakhon, Thailand. The din of the fishermen could be heard from a distance. Vibrations at the dock were an eclectic mix: Burmese and Thai voices shouting instructions, the clanking of large baskets of freshly caught fish tossed across wet makeshift conveyor belts. Baskets were rushed from the vessels down towards a group of migrant laborers waiting to separate the various fish into piles.
“We have to make sure we organize the fish properly,” said Thaet Thaet, a Burmese migrant worker who had been hired that day to offload the boats. “The fish are sorted by species and size, some to be sold at markets, others to go to factories,” he said.
“The job can be tedious, but at least it’s not dangerous,” Thaet said. About 16 years ago, he was a fisherman aboard a trawler. While onboard, Ā he was forced to work brutally long shifts for low pay. His employer verbally and physically threatened the laborers ā Ā one time, he recalls, with a handgun.
Thaet Thaet’s experience is far from an isolated case. Migrant workers like him have long faced a range of risks in the fishing trade, including human trafficking, forced labor, and other forms of exploitation.
Research from the International Labor Organization shows that forced labor and human trafficking in the fisheries sector remain a severe global problem. The U.S. Department of Labor and numerous human rights groups haveĀ documented forced labor and widespread abuse in the Thai fishing industry. While significant challenges remain, local labor and anti-trafficking organizations say that reforms, research, and enforcement are helping to alleviate the longstanding crisis.
The FAIR Fish: Fostering Accountability in Recruitment for Fishery WorkersĀ project, funded by The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs and implemented by Plan International, is engaging those historically at the root of the trafficking problem.
The project is educating employers, recruiters, and workers about responsible employment and human rights through advocacy, training programs, and a mobile application on workers’ rights. The goal is to create a culture of responsible recruitment in the seafood sector and empower migrant laborers with access to critical information about their rights.
“Workers in the seafood processing industry are migrant workers from neighboring countries, mostly Myanmar and Cambodia, andā¦ [that] makes them more vulnerable to exploitation,” said Sujintana Hemtasilpa, the project director for FAIR Fish. “So, we are helping employers and recruiters… Ā to protect them from forced labor and human trafficking.”
Thaet Thaet at work in Mahachai, Thailand.
Sujintana added that because most migrant workers are not well informed about Thai labor laws and regulations, they are more vulnerable to exploitative work than Thai workers. As many migrant workers don’t read or speak Thai, accessing crucial information about their rights can compound this problem.
“Through our community outreach, we hope that this engagement process and our efforts to change the behaviors of stakeholders, particularly among employers … will create a more sustainable impact,” said Sujintana. And their efforts to clean up the recruitment process are making a difference.
FAIR Fish found that the companies and recruitment agencies working with the project had developed a deeper understanding of responsible recruitment after completing the coaching sessions over two years.
“The good part is that it helps us adjust our thinking about how to work,” said Sirikorn Worrapanya, the director of the Central Unity Group Service, one of Thailand’s leading foreign worker employment agencies. “It’s not just about business and profits alone anymore.
” Major seafood industry companies said in five separate interviews that they are taking steps to protect the migrant workers they hire.
“Trainings like this remind you that in order to work together, you must be mindful of human rights, and you must respect the law,” said Thida Songnangrong, a human resource officer at Southeast Asian Packaging and Canning.
Back in Mahachai, Thaet Thaet begins another day at work. He recently started volunteering part-time as an interpreter for the local group, Proud Association, an organization that works closely with FAIR Fish to educate fishers about their rights. Today, his mind is free from the once-constant stress of working in exploitative conditions.
“The more training we have, I feel these problems have decreased,” Thaet Thaet said. “Employers and employees understand each other better now.”
It will still take time and further collaboration to ensure migrant laborers are fully protected, but the FAIR Fish program has helped the industry take essential steps forward so that fishers like Thaet Thaet can thrive.
- Blog
Some are alone ā others travel while pregnant or accompanied by other young children.Ā Ā Mainstream headlines would have you believe that the only problem is an overrun Texas border, but the migration crisis begins well before immigrants and asylum seekers come face-to-face with Customs and Border Patrol agents.Ā Vulnerable to false promises of a quick and easy ride to the U.S.-Mexico border by smugglers, girls and women face extortion and gender-based violence like trafficking and sexual assault along their entire route.Ā For 14-year-old Miriam from Honduras, who left home with her mother and younger brother, nothing about her migration journey has been easy. Miriamās family decided to leave after being threatened several times, abandoning everything they had. They traveled by bus and raft with other families through Honduras and Guatemala to Mexico.Ā When Miriamās family reached the Mexico border, an armed man threatened them and demanded money for their passage. After paying him off, they ran into another man who demanded more money.Ā āOne person told us that they were kidnappers, so we started to run and went down a rocky hillside,ā Miriam says. āWe took refuge in a lady’s garden from five in the morning until nine o’clock in order to lose them.”Ā After crossing into Mexico, a group of men on motorbikes surrounded them and offered transportation, but Miriamās mom refused out of concern for her childrenās safety. One of the men warned them that there were others up ahead who were waiting for them, so Miriam and her family had to jump down a sewer to escape.Ā Ā Eventually, they met someone who offered them bread and water, and found a van that took them to a safe shelter where they are currently staying until their next move.Ā Ā At the shelter, Miriam joined Planās Protected Passage project, which is being implemented in Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.Ā Ā For Plan, the migration crisis isnāt a political issue; itās a humanitarian crisis, and weāre focused on providing what girls and their families need to survive and choose their own futures. This includes emergency resources like shelter, food and clothing, as well as child protection training, legal services and supplementary education for out-of-school children.Ā Ā Weāre also working with host communities to destigmatize migration and raise awareness about gender equality to strengthen girlsā and womenās safety, and acceptance for everyone.ĀAdolescent and young girls make up nearly 20% of the female population migrating through the region.
The most dangerous crossing in Central America
People crossing into Central America from countries like Venezuela face one of the most dangerous passages in the world: The DariĆ©n Gap. This 66-mile stretch of mountainous jungle between Panama and Colombia can take more than a week to pass through (which migrants and refugees often do without smartphones).Ā Ā Dozens of people die every year trying to traverse this landscape, but because not all migrant deaths get reported, and recovering remains is impossible, the actual toll is likely much higher.Ā Many donāt know until they get there how unsafe it is. When not preoccupied with avoiding deadly animals living in this area, migrants must also watch out for bandits and armed groups committing robbery and sexual violence against girls and their families.Ā Ā Carmen, a 16-year-old girl from Venezuela, shared some of her experience traveling through the gap.Ā “In the jungle, if you couldn’t pay, [the bandits] would kill you,” Carmen says. “We all got sick and faced many dangers.āĀ Carmen left Venezuela with her parents and 11-year-old sister to escape violence and economic turmoil that left the family unable to afford basic necessities like food and medicine. They took only their most important possessions with them ā for Carmen, these were books, notebooks and her shoes.Ā Ā But as the days went on and Carmen and her family made their way through the wilderness in the DariĆ©n Gap, their belongings got wet from rain and crossing rivers, and they had to abandon everything except one change of clothes.Ā The family eventually made it to a shelter in Mexico, but Carmen says she struggled to settle in. She misses having privacy, and her journey has left her anxious.Ā āI think that Mexico is dangerous,ā Carmen says. āI don’t feel well protected here, but I know that this is going to be for the best.”Ā Outside the shelters, Mexico can be particularly hostile to women and girls migrating north. Gender-based violence is rampant ā perpetrated by both authorities and civilians ā and parents struggle to access resources that keep their children safe and educated, out of fear of deportation or because they donāt know theyāre available.Ā [Read: Adolescent girls in crisis: Experiences of migration in Central America and Mexico]Ā Another part of Planās Protected Passage project is providing mental health support and protection services to children and their families as they migrate, seek asylum or return home. We also strengthen other local organizations so that they can help migrants exercise their rights to education, shelter, health and protection.Ā At the shelter, Carmen participates in other project activities like life skills trainings, which has helped keep her spirits up.Ā “We were asked to write about the things we wanted to do in our lives in the future,ā Carmen says. āIt was something I had wanted to express for a long time, but I didn’t know how. I learned that we need to take more care of ourselves because of all the dangers we have been exposed to.āĀ For 17-year-old Francisca, who is also from Venezuela, nothing is more important than making sure her son has the future he deserves. She left Venezuela with her child, her mother and three younger sisters because of the lack of economic opportunity in the country.Ā āWe did not have enough money to buy food or pay for our studies,ā she explains.ĀOn top of that, her family was attacked by armed bandits who took most of their money and belongings. The violence and insecurity did not stop when they finally reached Mexico. Someone posing as an immigration worker offered to help the family legalize their documents in exchange for money. After receiving payment, the person threatened them and fled.Ā “In Mexico, I really don’t feel safe,ā Francisca says, echoing Carmenās experience. āIn the shelter, yes, but outside the door, no.”Ā At the shelter, Francisca participates in awareness-raising sessions on violence prevention and gender equality as part of Planās programming. She also receives mental health support and access to sexual and reproductive health services.Ā Ā Right now, all three girls are living in a state of uncertainty. Their lives are on hold as they wait with their families inside shelters, unsure if or when theyāll be able to finish their journey. But one thing is certain: They arenāt giving up on their dreams. We asked the girls what those dreams are.Ā āTo be a doctor, to help sick people,” Miriam says.Ā āMy dream is to become a forensic scientist because I love investigating things,ā Carmen says.Ā āGiven the circumstances, I now only have one objective: to get to the United States and give my baby a better future,ā Francisca says.Ā Projects like the one Plan is implementing are vital, not because they lean either way on a political scale, but because they focus on providing all people (especially girls) with what they need to survive and lead the lives they choose for themselves. By supporting our humanitarian work, you ensure girls and young women can exercise their rights and strengthen their well-being and resilience during all kinds of crises.Ā Names have been changed to protect privacy.āTo get to Mexico, we had to cross the DariĆ©n for five days, and then we took a bus to Guatemala,ā Francisca says. āIn the jungle, I fell with my son. Then a friend took him to help me. I didn't see [my son] for six days. I didn't know if he was dead or alive.ā
- Blog
Valentine keeps her three adult goats in a small pen in her family’s yard. She hopes to buy two more so that she can expand her business, but her plans are currently on hold.Ā
Running a small farm like this can be a successful endeavor in Burkina Faso ā the sale of each goat can bring Valentine as much as 8,967 West African CFA Francs ($16 USD).Ā Ā
But despite Valentineās progress so far, Burkina Faso, and many countries across Africa, are grappling with the worst hunger crisis seen in decades. Drought has led to a significant loss of crops and livestock. And as a result, inflation is jeopardizing the business that Valentine has worked so hard to establish.Ā Ā
Read: What the war in Ukraine means for AfricaĀ
Valentine says that animal feed and medicines for her goats have become too expensive to access.Ā Ā
āI really notice that prices are increasing,ā she says. āFor example, a dish of corn bran used to cost 500 Francs [$0.84 USD], but now it’s 1,000 Francs [$1.68 USD]. And you can’t even buy in bulk anymore. Sometimes, when you want one or two bags, the seller says that people have already reserved the bags, and he won’t sell them to you.āĀ
Thereās also a big gender gap when it comes to inflation. And in low-income countries like Burkina Faso, the evidence of it is even more palpable. Global inflation hit 9% in 2022, but in some emerging economies, rates went up over 25%. In these countries in particular, women like Valentine play a significant role in agriculture and supporting food systems, but they have less access to land and are paid less than men.Ā
And with rising health care costs, this situation for women like Valentine is only more challenging. When she was just 3 years old, she became paralyzed, which affected the left side of her brain. Her disability makes it difficult to walk and use her right arm, and she needs regular physical therapy to prevent muscle weakness.Ā
āI have to work very hard,ā she says. āHarder than others. Some people encourage me, but others remind me of my condition.āĀ
Because of her disability, Valentine had to drop out of school early and didnāt have much hope for her future. Sheād always wanted to become a livestock farmer, but wasnāt sure sheād ever have the opportunity. That was, until the beginning of 2022, when she was invited to participate in a series of entrepreneurship trainings from Plan International.Ā Ā
Through the trainings, participants created business plans, and Valentineās was selected to receive financial support from Plan. Above all, she remembers the encouragement she received from the Plan team, and how they helped her gain the confidence she needed to start a business selling goats.Ā Ā
āThey encouraged me to go forward, because life is not always easy,ā Valentine says. āYou have to fight to provide for yourself.āĀ
Alimata Sawadogo is Planās supervisor for the entrepreneurship project that Valentine participates in. She says that Valentine will need more support to see this business thrive.Ā Ā Ā
āGiven her situation, I would like the support to go beyond what she has already received,ā Alimata says. āWe should continue to help her with her livestock activity, so that she can have more animals and also with cash so that she can buy feed, as everything has become expensive on the market. This affects her monthly income. It’s really hard to get by.āĀ
But Alimata also adds that Valentineās perseverance gives her hope for her future. āWhen I talk about Valentine, I immediately see a very courageous woman, a fighter,ā she says. āI’ve never seen a woman in this condition who fights so hard.āĀ
Though Valentine is struggling more than ever to get by because of inflation, sheās keeping her head high.Ā Ā
āIt’s true that I didn’t have the chance to go to school, but I can still do something to support myself,ā she says. āEven if I don’t succeed today, I know that in the future I will be able to succeed.āĀ Ā
