New York, NY, Oct. 11, 2024 — In celebration of International Day of the Girl, Girls Inc. is partnering with Broadway’s Suffs. Girls Inc. participants from New York City attended the Tony Award-winning production, followed by a special talk back with cast members. 

Girls Inc. and Suffs share a profound historical synergy. The musical, which highlights the fight for women’s voting rights, resonates deeply with Girls Inc., an organization founded in 1864 shortly after the suffragist movement. The partnership between Girls Inc. and Suffs is not only timely, but critical to ensuring girls understand the importance of the right to vote and the stories of the women who made that possible. Like the suffragists, Girls Inc. has long been championing the rights and opportunities of girls and creating the platforms for them to develop and use their voices to advocate for the issues that are most important to them. 

“Girls Inc. has always believed in the power of girls and their ability to lead,” said Dr. Stephanie J. Hull, President & CEO of Girls Inc. “This partnership is meaningful in so many ways. Girls will learn about the suffrage movement and see how women—and girls—created change in their communities and the world despite the barriers that attempted to limit their progress and how they, too, can inspire change in their own communities.” 

 “We are thrilled to partner with Girls Inc. and inspire the next generation of women with the stories depicted in Suffs,” said producers Jill Furman and Rachel Sussman. “Partnerships like these are at the core of our mission to encourage young people to advocate for the issues that matter to them by showcasing that progress has been achieved before, and it can be again.”

Girls Inc.’s partnership with Suffs also coincides with the organization’s 160th anniversary, during which Girls Inc. has been celebrating its long history of championing girls’ rights and opportunities. Girls Inc. has also leveraged the election year as an opportunity to educate girls on the importance of voting, being civically engaged, and the value of civil discourse  through its unique She Votes curriculum. She Votes, equips girls with the knowledge to engage in civic life—learning how to run for office, participate in mock elections, and engage in healthy civic discourse. Attending Suffs is another opportunity for these young women to see activism in action, connecting the powerful legacy of the past with the future of leadership.

*Photos available upon request. 

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About Girls Inc. 

 Girls Inc. is a network of local organizations that works with schools and in communities across the United States and Canada. Through direct service and advocacy Girls Inc. equips girls -particularly girls from low-income communities and girls of color – with the knowledge and skills to effect positive changes in their lives and to become leaders who will change the world. Professionally trained staff and volunteers provide mentorship, safe spaces, and programming that address the unique challenges girls face and are proven to help girls succeed. Together with partners and supporters, Girls Inc. is building the new generation of leaders.

About Suffs

Suffs is the Tony Award®-winning musical that’s making history on Broadway! Created by Shaina Taub, who is now the first woman to ever independently win Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score in the same season, Suffs has also been named Best Musical (Outer Critics Circle Award), received two Drama Desk Awards including Best Score, and is “unquestionably the most emotionally stirring musical of the season” (Chicago Tribune). 

It’s a given that the women of the suffragist movement—who called themselves “Suffs” for short—were brilliant, but as they fought tirelessly for the right to vote, they were also flawed, stubborn, passionate and funny. Suffs tells their story: the remarkable friendships, the heartbreak, and how this movement brought them together—or, in some cases, tore them apart. Produced by Hillary Clinton, Malala Yousafzai, Jill Furman, and Rachel Sussman, Suffs is a “theatrical masterpiece that demands to be seen” (Forbes) and a reminder that progress is always possible but never guaranteed.