A: Girl Up is a campaign founded back in 2010 by the United Nations (UN) Foundation in an attempt to support UN agencies focused on adolescent girls and their development in society. They have chapters on high school and college campuses globally — according to their about page, Girl Up programs have impacted 75,000 women from nearly 4,000 different clubs in 125 countries and all 50 states. Some of the issues they focus on include gender equality, gender violence, education, using STEM — or science, technology, engineering and math — for social good and sports through advocacy, fundraising, storytelling and organizing. They are partnered with a number of strategic, corporate and non-profit organizations, including but not limited to Disney, H&M and the Women's Sports Foundation.

Q: What do you plan on bringing to MSU with Girl Up?

A: In terms of advocacy, one of the things we're trying to do this school year, especially because everything is virtual due to the pandemic and we won't be able to formally meet, is to create infographics on topics we find important and post them to our social media accounts. Social media is a key tool in reaching larger audiences right now.

Another thing we're trying to do is invite guest speakers — prominent female leaders or activists connected through Girl Up — to chat with our chapter's members.

We were planning to have a proper gala, but, again, it will now have to be virtual. Girl Up also puts on a large leadership conference every year that I really hope to attend before I graduate.

In terms of fundraising, we are completely non-profit. Over half of any donations collected by Girl Up chapters go to the UN Foundation, and we can choose the cause we'd like to sustain from there, while the rest goes toward future events. Currently, our chapter is working to get menstruation hygiene kits to shelters in East Lansing.

Q: What, for you, was the driving force behind starting this chapter?

A: I have always considered myself a feminist. I wanted to make a change, and I have seen so many Girl Up organizations doing so, mainly through my friends on the other side of the world who are also involved with the campaign. Girl Up has a large platform and is something that's deeply interconnected, so we can easily offer a helping hand to those in need. Coming from India, I've seen the struggle that women in third world countries face first-hand — education, sanitation, freedom and so much more. Like I said before, if we choose, Girl Up can donate the money we fundraise to their cause. Therefore, when I saw MSU didn't have a chapter, I jumped for it — I knew it would offer a lot of opportunities.

Q: How can people get involved?

A: Girl Up chapters are divided into different regions of leadership based on location. For example, MSU's chapter is led by the U.S. Midwestern region. According to their global networking page, the U.S. Midwestern region's leader is Leena Abdelmoity and her team consists of Ruby Rios, club leader; Kwen Klaypenh, campus leader; and Natalia Patritti Cram, social leader.

Girl Up is open to everybody, not just women. You can join the Girl Up community online, fill out the MSU chapter's survey to subscribe to their email list and get in contact with Vasudevan on Facebook or Instagram with any further questions. Currently, the chapter has an executive board made up of six people and roughly 30 interested sign-ups, though their numbers are still climbing.

Editor's note: These responses have been edited for clarity.