Last week, marie claire in partnership with World Vision Australia, hosted an event to mark International Day of the Girl with a simple but seismic call to action: to help sponsor 1,000 girls by 11 October.
“Tonight is about connection, courage, and raising our voices together,” marie claire Editor Georgie McCourt told the 250-strong crowd as she opened the evening. “Because when you empower one girl, you don’t just change her life, you change her family, her community, and the generations that come after her.”
It was a reminder of the campaign’s purpose: that girlhood should never be defined by child marriage, exploitation, or violence – but by education, freedom, and the right to dream.
The Campaign: 1000 Girls
World Vision’s 1000 Girls campaign is bold in its clarity. The target is simple: to find sponsors for 1,000 girls around the world by International Day of the Girl. Sponsorship means more than school books or uniforms. It’s about protection from child marriage, safety from trafficking, access to clean water, and the confidence to shape a future on their own terms.
As McCourt told the audience, “Every single one of us has the power to help rewrite these stories.”
A Conversation With Kishwar Chowdhury and Erin Holland
First up was a panel discussion, hosted by McCourt, with two women who embody the campaign’s spirit of resilience in their own ways.
Kishwar Chowdhury, beloved from MasterChef, spoke movingly about her travels in Bangladesh with World Vision. She recalled teenage girls candidly discussing menstruation, consent, and child marriage – subjects often shrouded in silence. “To hear 14-year-olds speak with that kind of bravery was extraordinary,” she said. “One girl told me she refused a marriage proposal because she wanted to keep studying. That’s what courage looks like – and it’s what happens when you give girls the tools to make choices.”
Beside her, television presenter and singer Erin Holland shared the story of Nadu, the Sri Lankan girl she has sponsored since World Vision’s very first 1000 Girls campaign in 2019. Last year, Holland finally travelled to meet Nadu in person. A short film of their reunion – full of tears, hugs, and joy – played. “To see Nadu thriving, going to school, surrounded by a community that supports her – it was one of the most emotional moments of my life,” Holland said.
The panel was filled with personal stories – from Chowdhury reflecting on how food can be a bridge to empowerment (“Sharing a meal is sharing identity”) to Holland admitting that her IVF journey has given her a different perspective on legacy and what it means to nurture a child’s future.
Maria Thattil Spoke Truth to Power
Next, guests heard from Maria Thattil – author, actor, podcaster, and Marie Claire’s 2023 Voice of Now. Her powerful words were a reminder of why her voice resonates so powerfully.
Thattil has never shied away from vulnerability – whether talking about skin bleaching and racism, coming out on national television, or challenging the pageant world from within. “The first time I felt the weight of my own story,” she said, “was standing on that TED stage. Sharing my truth out loud was terrifying, but it was also transformative. It’s why I believe so deeply in campaigns like 1000 Girls – because truth-telling changes lives.”
Last year, Thattil lent her voice to Susma, a Nepali teenager whose story of resilience captured hearts across Australia. Inspired by that experience, Thattil went on to personally sponsor another girl in Nepal, Anuska – a decision that reframed her advocacy. “Sponsorship is proof that change can start with just one person. It’s a ripple effect. Anuska’s future feels brighter, but so does the community around her.”
An image of Anuska lit up the screen as Thattil spoke.
From Chowdhury’s tales of kitchens in Bangladesh to Holland’s letters to Nadu, and Thattil’s fierce advocacy, each voice illuminated a bigger truth – that girlhood everywhere is interconnected.
Guests sipped cocktails, mingled between conversations, and at the end of the evening, 70 lucky attendees went home with a delicate Alana Maria bracelet, a reminder of the night’s message: beauty, strength, and resilience intertwined.
How Can You Get Involved?
The event closed on a collective note. “The 1000 Girls campaign is about amplifying voices,” McCourt reminded the audience. “Every girl deserves the chance to grow up safely, with dignity and possibility. That’s a story we can all be part of rewriting.”
As the room rose in applause, the energy was unmistakable: this wasn’t just an event, it was a rallying cry. A call to take action, to sponsor, to share, to stand alongside girls everywhere. Because when you look a girl in the eye and tell her she matters, you don’t just change her story. You change the world.
Guests were treated to curated goodie bags featuring hero products from each participating brand, thoughtfully selected to showcase the breadth of their ranges: Remedy Drink – Sodaly Raspberry, Dermapen HOME Microneedling Device, Skin Control Glass Skin Masks, Airyday Pear-lescent Body SPF50+ Dreamscreen, SundaeBody Soft Serve Body Mist, Hairification H24 Complex Hair Repair Blonde Shampoo, Ciroa Raspberry and Vanilla Body Scrub, Essano Vitamin C Facial Oil, Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional Foundation, beforeyouspeak Collagen Coffee, Baddest Bod Express Tanning Mouse, Nutriderm Vitamin C Scrub, Vanessa Megan Skincare Super C + Bearberry Illuminating Face Serum, Clemence Organics Brightening Eye + Skin Serum, Mutki Gentle Organic Cleanser, Organic Island Skincare Sunrise-C Glow Serum, Manolo Petite The Signature Gold Lead.
To find out more about the 1000 Girls campaign, go to worldvision.com.au/sponsor-a-girl
World Vision child sponsorship in an ongoing donation that costs just $48 a month but the benefits are far and wide. Sponsoring a child means working with a girl and her community holistically. As a child sponsor, you will give her support in education, food, water, child protection – everything she needs to create a brighter future for herself.
