girlworks promotes critical thinking to girls and young women aged 11 - 16, covering 10 topical areas: girl in the world; money, career, entertainment, technology, health & beauty, sport, fashion, quizzes & games and art & design.
Janet’s Spiel Spring is here and many of us await a return to “normal”. Remember the before times? Until we have a new normal, most of us are still in some form of lockdown or living in a very small bubble of our immediate family. Make the most of the situation, and keep reading. There are so many new, unique things to explore. In this issue: • Explore the sliver of a country, The Gambia and girl in the world Fatou Bensouda• Do some HITT for a great workout• Fashion as Self-Expression• A career in Graphic / Digital Design• What are Commodities?• 2021 New books, games and movies Coming in the July / August issue: • Let’s visit Luxembourg• Why activism matters• Get to know actress Millie Bobby Brown• Good-bye…
THE GAMBIA The Gambia is a developing country located in Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and geographically surrounded by Senegal. The Gambia River runs through the entirety of the strip of the country. The Gambia gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1965. The country then became mired in a military coup, leading to decades of authoritarian rule under Yahya Jemmeh. It is only recently that The Gambia has attracted both foreign investment and assistance from mostly American not-for-profits. China is showing an increased interest in investing in development of Africa’s natural resources. To appease China and its’ agreements, The Gambia is experiencing deforestation, water pollution and desertification (decreased rainfall leading to desert-like landscapes). Population: Settlements are found scattered along the Gambia River, but the largest populations are…
Fatou Bensouda Fatou Bensouda is a lawyer from The Gambia, and former Attorney General and Minister of Justice in the previous Gambian government. She is currently the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, her tenure at the court ending June, 2021. Author: Stine Merethe Eid Born in Banjul (then called Bathurst), the capital city of The Gambia, Bensouda spoke English at school and Wolof at home. After high school she attended the Ife University of Nigeria to study law. She worked in the previous Jemmeh government as a prosecutor and set up a commercial law practice after he fled the country. She worked for a short time at a bank, then returned to law, advising the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and was elected…
careergirl DIGITAL / GRAPHIC DESIGNER Becoming a Digital or Graphic Designer is a great career path if you are creative, like exploring new technology (both hardware and software) and want to learn about design. The type of design can vary from web, product or graphic. For example: A local business, Tina’s Sun Hats, has just opened. Tina’s special expertise is sewing sun hats, not designing her logo, website and tracking, store sign, email signature, business card…..the list goes on. At the core of all businesses is a brand built on design. The really great news about a career in design, is some of it can be learned and practised independently, prior to committing to a formal degree. You can spend countless hours learning and designing, with an internet connection. If…
WHAT’S THE BEST DIGITAL DRAWING TABLET FOR YOU? BEST DIGITAL TABLET FOR BEGINNERS Wacom Intuos S, $75 US • Includes Corel Painter Essentials 7 (trial), Clip Studio Paint Pro (2 yr), Corel AfterShot Pro 3 (trial) software• Battery-free pen• Easily Connects to MacOS / Windows / Android BEST BUDGET TABLET Huion Inspiroy H1060P, $67 US • This is a big tablet at 10 x 6.25”• Tilts 60 degrees for interaction• 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity BEST ALL-AROUND TABLET XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro, $400 US • Fantastic drawing display and resolution with rich colours• Programmable buttons to zoom in and out• Tilt & 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity BEST ALL-AROUND TABLET Gaomon PD1560, $300 US • Huge screen 13.5 x 7.6”• Programmable buttons, tilt and 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity• This is…
What’s Your Bra Size? The function of a bra is to support ligaments and the weight of your breast. The bra bands around your ribcage and shoulders can cause discomfort and tension. A breast can weigh more that a kilo when you are a D cup or above. The pressure on the whole body is huge, especially on your back. If taking off your bra feels like being released from something that binds, you are most likely wearing the wrong size or a poorly designed bra. Wear a bra at night? Wearing an underwire bra day and night is uncomfortable. Consider wearing a non-wire bra or bralette if you want some support. ”Whether you wear a bra at night is really a comfort preference," explains Jené Luciani Sena, bra expert…
