• by Danielle Oster , March 7, 2025

International humanitarian organization Plan International partnered with Paramount and KFC for an “Empower Girls. Change the Future” International Women’s Day campaign promoting educational and leadership opportunities for girls, which arrives amid a backslide on gender equality.

According to Plan International, the “global gender equality gap is now projected to take 137 years to close — three years longer than in 2024.”

"Girls need our support now more than ever. When we invest in their education and leadership, we're not just changing their futures — we're changing the world," Plan International CEO Shanna Marzilli said in a statement. "Through our partnerships, we're giving girls the tools to overcome barriers and lead with confidence."

Paramount’s partnership with Plan International on girls education and equal opportunity initiatives dates back to 2015. For ‘Empower Girls. Change the Future,” Paramount-owned Nickelodeon shared exclusive content featuring Dora of “Dora The Explorer.” The bilingual character addresses adult viewers with a message about the importance of girls’ education and equal opportunities.

The video continues a story started in a previous International Day of the Girl campaign last year, which saw Plan International and Paramount distribute backpacks filled with school supplies to students in Cambodia, Mexico, Nepal, Ukraine and Zimbabwe.

KFC’s partnership revolves around “Girls Takeover” events last month at two of its corporate offices -- Plano, Texas and Bangkok, Thailand – where girls “stepped into leadership roles, including Chief People and Culture Officer and Chief Development Officer.” Plan International shared a video from the events on its YouTube channel, and will feature related social media content as part of the campaign.

A “Her Future Starts Now” call to action on a dedicated campaign landing page on Plan International's website includes a “#HerFutureStartsNow” challenge to “talk to the young people in your life about their dreams and leadership experiences or share your own.” It also includes  prompts and stories from Plan International to help with process, as well as a drive to donate. 

The push comes at a critical time for the organization, which reportedly has received over $20 million in USAID funding annually.

After the Trump administration’s freeze on foreign aid spending, Plan International received stop work orders, resulting in school closures in Nepal; 32 metric tons of undispersed food and 10,000 doses of pharmaceuticals left undispersed in an Ethiopia warehouse, Marzilli told The Providence Journal. 

The organization’s educational work helps provide an education to girls who otherwise might not attend school, Marzilli told the publication. "This is the last opportunity for some of them."We have done so much to change the norms for girls who would otherwise end up being married or in situations where they are vulnerable to human trafficking."

On  March 5, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision, that the administration must unfreeze the funds already appropriated by Congress for USAID and other spending. Court filings in a U.S. District court  revealed the administration ultimately plans to cut around 90% of USAID funding.