Join Us, Ellie Simmonds, Samantha Barks And More To Support WaterAid’s #MeAsAGirl Campaign

Laura Whitmore, Katie Melua and Sarah Brown share their childhood snaps to raise awareness of WaterAid’s To Be A Girl campaign

A new WaterAid campaign, launching today, is asking women everywhere to post a childhood snap with the hashtag #MeAsAGirl, to raise awareness of the thousands of girls around the world who are suffering because they lack access to clean water.

The problems they endure aren’t limited to the obvious – lack of safe drinking water, personal hygiene and clean toilet facilities – but also have a direct link to education, as children spend their days trying to collect and carry clean water for their families, rather than going to school. The consequences of not having these basic services affect women and girls the most, as going to the toilet in the open leaves them vulnerable to violence and sexual assault.

“I’m supporting WaterAid’s To be a girl campaign as I believe all girls should be able to go to school and get an education,” Sarah Brown said today. “Too many girls around the world drop out of school because of the lack of somewhere private to go the toilet, or spend hours collecting water every day or have school sick days from drinking dirty water. No girl deserves to miss the chance to fulfil her potential because of lack of access to clean, safe water.”

Aiming to highlight the carefree childhoods that most people growing up in the UK have, WaterAid is aiming to also raise £1million to help bring safe, clean water and sanitation to over 130,000 girls around the world. Take a look through our gallery of celebrities above including Sarah Brown and Laura Whitmore (not to mention a few Marie Claire staffers) and start posting your own.

We will be re-tweeting everyone who shares their #MeAsAGirl pictures with us and WaterAid on Twitter and texts GIRLS to 70300 to donate £3. We will also update the gallery above with the best snaps.

Visit www.tobeagirl.org, to read stories from girls around the world and to find out more. Support the appeal by sharing a picture of #MeAsAGirl and text GIRLS to 70300 to donate £3 to WaterAid.