Christina Ochoa (actress and activist) has partnered with CARE to celebrate incredible girls from across the globe. These girls can change the world if provided the tools they need to succeed. On this ‘International Day of the Girl’, Ochoa raises her voice to help tell Chrissy’s story of hope and resilience.

CARE continues to bring light to one of the most dangerous things a person can do: ‘Be Born a Girl’. Five women are telling the stories and journeys of five girls from around the world: ‘My Name is Maryam’, ‘My Name is Chrissy’, ‘My Name is Marwa’, ‘My Name is Damary’, and ‘My Name is Mikre’. As Sheila Shah (actress and activist) states, “It doesn’t matter where you come from. It doesn’t matter what your race is, what face you practice, or what status you have, through hard work and dedication, and perseverance, anything is possible.”

For this special day, we had the opportunity to speak to Ochoa about her work with CARE and the significance of the ‘International Day of the Girl’, especially during a global pandemic. Ochoa tells the story of Chrissy in Malawi. The actress and activist hopes that by sharing this story with the world, and with a group of other young children, more people can understand and empathize with all of the girls’ experiences.

Watch Christina tell Chrissy’s story

Ochoa started her collaboration with CARE three years ago. “I got involved with CARE, I would say two years ago, although it might be three, depending on if you count 2020 or not (laughs). It is something that ties very much with a lot of the work I try, support and do when it comes to encouraging education, and women in STEM and academia. I thought that we were aligned a lot in what we care about. CARE, they are so phenomenal. They do great work whether it is with their CARE packages, their programs, their responses to all of these urgent needs, and how they yearly mark all these initiatives that they need to take care of on a macro approach. It was no brainer for me to get involved and partner up in whatever way I could.”

Together with Ochoa, the campaign is also supported by Nina Lu (actress and activist), Nia Sioux (dancer and activist), Haylie Duff (actress and activist), Sheila Shah (actress and activist), and Alexandra Daddario (actress and activist).

Watch CARE’s International Day of the Girl campaign:

Ochoa’s passion for this cause is contagious. There is no doubt, she fully understands the ins and outs of what it is to be a girl. Combined with the international awareness needed to continue improving the lives of women and girls. During our conversation she made a solid, thoughtful, and positive call to action.

“CARE is asking everyone to sign the petition supporting the states from the ‘Start Act’. It is to support local legislators to do change. Voicing support of this bill gives funding to women and girls during emergencies. COVID-19 for example, being one of them, but clearly, it’s all urgent needs. At the end of the day, only real action can generate change”, Ochoa states.

There is a multidimensional approach to Ochoa’s vision. Ultimately the goal is “keeping women and girls around the world safe.” She continued, “Safety you can really extrapolate to the expansion of the Maslow’s pyramid. It is no longer shelter, food, hygiene, and water. It is also communication, transportation, education. Now our basic needs in order to function in society need to be well rounded. It is no longer enough to keep women and girls safe; it really means an approach across the board, and that includes, education because local communities, and girls getting educated, and having the same access and opportunity is the way to go.”

©CARE

“Without the necessary support in times of crisis, especially when it comes to women and girls around world, if we can’t control crisis, much less, we can’t prevail. We need to understand that programs, policies, norms, at all levels, local, government, humanitarian aid, with an international scope, is what will keep women and girls safe, healthy, and cover their basic needs to guarantee a successful evolution for them.” Ochoa said.

Ochoa’s final thoughts include, “Solutions are not myopic just because our lenses are. Social issues don’t get fixed until we take care of the real victims and the people that are exposed and vulnerable, which are children.”

How can we help? Ochoa shared some tangible ways to support girls.

Tell Congress: Keep Women and Girls Safe from the Start -Act Now
Women and girls fleeing emergencies risk rape, violence, and exploitation on the road to safety. Now, COVID-19 has the potential to make gender-based violence in crises even worse. The Safe from the Start Act in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate would keep women and girls safe from violence, early marriage, and other injustices in emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic. These issues are a matter of life and death for many women and girls caught in crises. Ask your members of Congress today to co-sponsor the Safe from the Start Act and protect women and girls from gender-based violence.

Send a CARE Package to help Girls Learn during the pandemic - Show You Care
Help educate girls and adolescents around the world by providing tools for safe and effective learning environments. In the places CARE works – countries already devastated by disaster, poverty and violence – we must support and empower girls everywhere to reach their potential. A CARE Package gift will help educate girls and adolescents around the globe learn by providing tools for safe and effective learning environments.