CHALLENGE: Research shows that when girls are constantly exposed to sexualized, unrealistic media images of women, their self-confidence is undermined and they become highly critical of their bodies.

SOLUTION: Help girls to question these images by enrolling them in a media literacy program. These after-school programs teach girls to learn to recognize gender stereotypes in TV shows, movies, video games, advertising, and music videos, and to build a more positive self-image.

Maisha (left, 18) and Amar (right, 15) are mentors in girls’ programs funded by the Canadian Women’s Foundation. When they were younger, they attended similar programs as participants. In this interview, they talk about how having a mentor helped them and what it’s like to be a mentor.

Maisha: I’ll start with why I decided to become a mentor. I had been volunteering as a leader in the YWCA weekly camps but I always worked with different girls.