Because I am a Girl

There is no doubt that I have an extremely blessed life. I have a beautiful family - parents who did anything for their children, brothers and a sister who are close, a husband who adores me. I have a fabulous group of friends and am surround by so much love and support. I have a dream job - I work on MasterChef - I produce the MasterClass episodes and I look after all guest chefs on the show - booking them, working with them...It's probably one of the best jobs in TV at the moment! I am an educated woman with an established career that I love. I am grateful for everything I have.

Not everyone is as blessed as I am. Girls around the world and in our own backyard go through their whole lives wishing they weren't born a girl, wishing that they were allowed the same opportunities as boys, hoping they will have freedom to chose their husband, dreaming of what it would be like to go to school, praying they'll survive to the age of 5.

We can make a difference in this world if we want to. My mum, Lalani, is making a difference. She is a true women's advocate and has been for as long as I can remember. After the Tsunami hit Sri Lanka, my mum and dad (who were in Sri Lanka at the time) did everything they could to get food, water, clothing and medicine to those affected in the South. But when they returned to Australia, my mum decided that she couldn't just forget what she had seen and so she began a project to help rehabilitate the people affected - in particular the women. The project would

seek to educate and empower the many women who had lost their husbands by helping them to use skills they already had and could develop such as sewing, cooking and rope making, to gain an income.

This project is now in it's 5th year and we, as a family, have all pledged to keep this going. We recently witnessed first hand how powerful our help had been as we met with the women and heard their stories. It has been all because of my mothers relentless efforts from fundraising to speaking about the cause.

My mother has been the most influential woman in my life and this is just one reason why. I am so glad to be a girl, to be a daughter, a wife, a sister, a girlfriend. My hope is that girls around the world will all feel this way - proud and happy to be a girl.

Because I am a girl...I can change the world.

http://becauseiamagirl.com.au/2010/