Behind the Scenes | Father-Daughter Duo

“I am teaching my daughter taekwondo because the world is changing. Girls are freer to play. It’s very disappointing how many of our Rohingya girls are victims of violence. If you learn taekwondo, no one will threaten you. You can protect yourself and fight back.”

Displaced girls are extremely vulnerable to exploitation and sexual abuse. This is especially true among the Rohingya community. During this pandemic, girls around the world have faced heightened risks of sexual violence. If we want this to change, we need to look at where the change can begin.

Change begins in the communities.  It begins with fathers who acknowledge the dangers their daughters may face. It begins with girls building up their confidence and strength. It begins with those who are willing to share their knowledge and skills with the younger generation.

“I want to be a taekwondo teacher when I grow up because within the Rohingya community in the camps, there aren’t any. I could teach others what I know.”

We are inspired by this father-daughter duo who are already serving as a catalyst for change.

These are some of the catalysts who inspired us to start our For the Girls project. Our aim is to provide a discussion-based contextualized learning module that can spark conversation. The best place to start is through conversation.

Want to support our For the Girls  project? Or perhaps you could use this book in your own girls’ education program?

Learn more here.

Father – Daughter Duo Backstory:

We discovered this Father – Daughter Duo from UNICEF’s video highlighting the Day of the Girl 2020.  Before this video was launched, we heard several of our Rohingya friends mention this father-daughter duo in the camps. We have yet to meet them.