Hardy Girls Healthy Women (HGHW) takes girls seriously and puts the power in their hands to challenge a society that ignores their brilliance. We dare adult allies to join us.
Girls cause a ruckus.
Gender is a social construct and for centuries it’s held onto a binary (boys & girls) system. HGHW does not believe in the binary, but knows the deep history of systemic sexism and transphobia has uniquely harmed self-identifying girls and gender expansive folks. This is who we work with. As consistently learning intersectional feminists, we welcome and celebrate folks across all identities, abilities, races, ethnicities, religions, economic statuses and sexual orientations.
We are intentional. We reflect. We buck norms. We believe in disruption. We don’t prescribe, we ignite.
As a Maine-based, research-driven nonprofit, HGHW has partnered with girls and gender expansive youth by encouraging curiosity, thinking critically, building coalitions, and challenging the status quo since 2000. We’re about changing the culture, not fixing the girl. HGHW works with 1,200+ girls and gender expansive youth annually through year-round, statewide programs.
Since day one, Hardy Girls programming, resources and services have been powered by the latest research in girls’ development. Much of that research comes from the work of Hardy Girls co-founder, Lyn Mikel Brown. Read Dr. Brown’s keynote address: Cultivating Hardiness Zones for Adolescent Girls and about the further research that was used as the guiding principles to help found this organization.
