After 10 years of Girls Belong Here, Plan International Canada invites partners to open more doors for girls

Since 2016, flagship youth leadership program has helped more than 300 girls and young women build the skills, confidence, and global perspective to advance girls’ rights

TORONTO, Sept. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ten years after Plan International Canada launched Girls Belong Here , alumni continue to apply what they learned in public policy, technology, health, and community spaces.

More than 300 young women and gender-diverse youth ages 14–24 have taken part in the program, which connects participants across Canada with decision makers and brings youth perspectives into influential spaces where girls remain underrepresented. As girls’ rights and participation are under attack globally, these opportunities are more important than ever, strengthening girls’ leadership in Canada and helping drive equality for girls worldwide.

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For Yllka Bojku, a 2022 participant who took part in a seat share at the House of Commons, the experience shifted her perspective from observing change to helping shape it.

“When I arrived in Canada from Kosovo, I carried ambition but not yet a clear sense of where my voice could make a difference,” said Bojku. “Plan Canada’s Girls Belong Here sparked a confidence in me that I hadn’t felt before. It helped me see possibilities for myself that once felt out of reach.”

Today, Bojku works in technology and advocates for digital inclusion, inclusive AI policy, and civic engagement. She was recently selected for Fora: Network for Change’s Rise on Boards program, which will place her as a Young Director on a non-profit board. The opportunity builds on the leadership foundation she developed through Girls Belong Here.

Bojku is one of many alumni who have gone on to shape policy, health, technology, and community leadership in Canada and beyond. Breanne Lavallee-Heckert went from a seat share in the Prime Minister of Canada’s Office to speaking at UN conferences and becoming executive director of Festival du Voyageur; Tami Vasanthakumaran, whose seat share was with CIFAR, founded Meducine, an AI-powered platform making trusted health information more accessible; and Sophie Arseneault, who was paired with the Canadian Embassy to the United Nations, has since worked with the World Bank Group and now serves as a board director with Fòs Feminista, a global alliance working to advance the health and well-being of girls and women.

Girls Belong Here is part of Plan International Canada’s broader work to advance equality for girls in Canada and around the world. Through seat shares, innovation hubs, and mentorship with Canadian and global leaders, participants gain first-hand exposure to decisions that affect their communities and girls globally, while partners gain direct insight from the next generation of leaders.