If we all do it, the world can change!? How to expand social projects.

This is the final installment of the GIRL meets GIRL Project column. As a new producer, I, Aise Ogawa, would like to share my thoughts on the project's expansion and our dreams for the future.

Starting with the ring and culminating in the publication of the book "World Girls White Paper," this project was never meant to end with just our own messaging. During the days of running around the company with our proposal, we realized something: the difficulty of securing corporate support for a social project. Even when our passion resonated, the hurdles to turning it into business far exceeded our expectations. Still, through the empathy, enthusiasm, and cooperation of many (truly wonderful) people, we managed to realize several collaborations. Here, I'll introduce a few of them.

For example, our collaboration with Shueisha's MORE magazine, which supports women shining in their careers. We created the 'More Happy' ring to support disaster-affected areas in Tohoku. Thanks to promotions in MORE magazine and at events, the initial production run of 3,000 rings sold out immediately. After additional production runs, the proceeds were donated to support the operation of a vocational training school for girls in the disaster-affected areas. We were truly delighted not only to provide this support, but also that the project reached the magazine's readers, giving them a chance to think about girls in disaster-affected areas and developing countries.
 
Additionally, we collaborated with jewelry brand 'THE KISS' on a pair ring. Believing that the challenges faced by girls worldwide cannot be solved by women alone and that men should also be aware, we created our first pair ring, 'Kiss Boyfriend / Girlfriend'. This aims to create an opportunity for Japanese couples to think about couples around the world. This idea also led to concrete support: training peer educators in Africa who teach family planning to couples.

Beyond this, the empathy, passion, and cooperation of many (truly wonderful) people have made several other collaborations possible. This has created a reach we couldn't have achieved alone. We continue activities to share the project's vision and ideas, not just through ring-based support, but also by teaching classes to high school girls at Tokyo Metropolitan High Schools and appearing at talk shows like the one at Shibuya Hikarie. Writing the "World Girls' Report" also made me aware of many issues facing Japanese girls. For instance, the overwhelmingly high rate of women leaving the workforce after marriage compared to other developed nations, and the fatal impact Japan's obsession with thinness has on girls' bodies. I firmly believe there are many opportunities to solve these and other girls' issues by partnering with companies. Right now, we're actually planning a new project! For those who have read this series or are interested in this project, we have a wealth of ideas! Please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to meeting many (truly wonderful) people!

This concludes the serialized column by the Girl Meets Girl Project.
Thank you for taking the time to read.

We, who once only thought about happiness within a five-meter radius, encountered various problems and smiles brimming with hope. We will continue to face each one head-on and do what we can. Going beyond advertising, what we can do for girls makes our everyday lives sparkle too.