UF students will celebrate Day of the Girl Child on Sunday and learn how to help girls in poor countries get an education.
The UF chapter of She’s the First, a gender-equality organization, will host its first-ever summit at Heavener Hall, Room 160, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., summit director Valentina Lopez-Diaz said.
Day of the Girl Child is an international holiday the United Nations created in 2011. She’s the First raises money to give scholarships to young women in low-income countries to create equal opportunities for them.
At the summit, UF students will learn about women’s empowerment, female entrepreneurship and professional development, said Lopez-Diaz, a UF marketing sophomore.
About 90 people have registered for the event, and 150 are expected to attend, she said.
It costs $5 to register online in advance and $7 for those who pay at the door. All of the proceeds will benefit the young women the organization helps. Gator Domino’s is matching the group’s donations, she said.
Currently, She’s the First UF has helped fund four international girls’ education, Lopez-Diaz, 19, said. The money raised will help fund the girls’ schooling fees, housing and feminine-hygiene products.
She’s the First UF president, Andrea Barahona, said she hopes attendees will acknowledge the issues of gender inequality.
"What we’re doing is creating a change in the lives of girls in other countries," the 21-year-old English and sociology senior said.
