Jackie Shapiro

Girl Be Heard

Girl Be Heard (GBH) develops, amplifies and celebrates the voices of young women through socially conscious theatre-making. Girl Be Heard believes that if a girl can change her own life, she can change the lives of girls everywhere. Because 6:10 girls have or will experience physical or sexual violence in their lives, Girl Be Heard (GBH) was born out of the systemic need to keep girls safe and provide a community for healing. In addition to creating a fearless space for girls to speak honestly, develop trust and share personal stories, these shared experiences raise awareness about gender-based violence and the silence. By encouraging girls to be heard, GBH nurtures young women to become leaders and activists in a global movement to empower and raise the status of women worldwide. GBH is renowned for its innovative theatre and writing workshops with youth from New York City's most underserved communities where one in three families live below the poverty line. Girl Be Heard's girl-empowerment program allows youth to express and heal from their numerous traumas (including: emotional and physical bullying, body image dysmorphia, low self-esteem, domestic violence, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, sexual abuse).