Nonprofit Spotlight: Gurls Talk


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In March, PennyLoafer donors collectively gave to Gurls Talk!

The Rundown

  • Years founded: 2015

  • Leadership: Gurls Talk was founded by British fashion model, Adwoa Aboah, after sharing her own struggles with mental health. It started as an Instagram account encouraging other young women to share their stories.

  • Issue they address: mental health and wellbeing of adolescent girls and young women // stigma.

  • What they do: create safe spaces (both on and offline) where girls can access mental health resources, share their experiences and support each other.

  • How they do it:

    • Online community: publish stories, poems and artwork submitted by girls, to promote self expression and different ways to cope with their feelings. Partner with academic institutions and mental health experts to provide accessible mental health resources + education to the community.

    • Podcast: in these “fierce female chats,” Adwoa interviews guests on a variety of topics, from mental health struggles to finding balance and overcoming fears. Guests have included Rupi Kaur and Serena Williams.

    • Events: Adwoa gives talks in schools, and hosts free events in different cities, that include workshops, guest speakers, and opportunities to connect with the Gurls Talk community IRL.

    • Gurls Talk Ambassador Program: gives young activists and emerging leaders (ages 18-22), who are passionate about the mission, an opportunity to participate in the org’s decision-making, develop advocacy skills and connect with like-minded peers.

Why they were chosen

Gurls Talk is a supportive space for girls and young women to express themselves without judgement and discuss a wide range of topics from anxiety and depression to body image, confidence and sexual health. It’s designed to empower and inspire girls, while de-stigmatizing mental health conversations and amplifying the diversity of girls’ voices.

  • As a model, Adwoa has a platform and a reach (~250K followers on the Gurls Talk instagram, and 1.2M on her personal account). She has access to other famous women that girls look up to and want to be like, and provides a space where these women can be vulnerable and share their own experiences and struggles, helping girls everywhere feel less alone. 💜

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Adolescent and young adult mental health issues, including anxiety, depression and suicide, have been on the rise for the past decade. Especially for our girls.

Teenage girls are almost 3x more likely to experience depression than teen boys.

And with the social isolation and stress of the pandemic, 1 in 3 girls has experienced new or worsened anxiety since March 2020.

We know social media platforms like Instagram aren’t helping. Research shows these platforms can have negative impacts on girls’ body image, self-esteem and mental health. It’s not surprising – can you imagine scrolling through the ‘gram as an emotional, vulnerable teen who is still developing a sense of self? The horror!

A sense of belonging and community are so important to girls and young women. Nonprofits like Gurls Talk are helping girls feel less alone, reassuring them its okay to not be okay and empowering them to express themselves.

Hug a strong woman or girl in your life today! And remind them who runs the world. 🤗

If you enjoyed this and want to get involved, you can support the Mental Health cause on PennyLoafer, starting with as little as $5/month. Each month, you’ll support and learn about a different nonprofit working to make the world a healthier place.