Seeing a social media post about The Salvation Army’s International Social Justice Girls (ISJG), Erin McDonald instantly knew she wanted to be part of it.
“It’s so important there is a space in The Salvation Army where young women are given the opportunity to grow and learn from each other and be encouraged to use their voices in a world where we are so often discouraged from doing that,” said Erin, 25.
Erin and Anna Tooley are the Central Territory’s new representatives on ISJG, a group launched in 2021 to encourage young Salvationist women to be advocates for women’s issues. Both come from families with Salvation Army roots and are very involved in their corps. Erin is a soldier at the Grand Rapids Fulton Heights Citadel, Mich., Corps, while Anna is a soldier at the Norridge Citadel, Ill., Corps.
“The experience of being in contact with girls from around the world is really cool,” said Anna, 20, of meeting via Zoom with the 30 members of the ISJG.
Erin concurred, saying, “We have young women circumnavigating the globe from California to Australia and New Zealand. There is something beautiful we can learn from sitting down and listening to other people’s perspectives.”
Holding a triple-major bachelor’s degree in design and technology, acting and directing, and
dramaturgy from North Central College in Naperville, Ill., Erin recently worked using her training in design. She helped prepare an ISJG project for the annual international 16 Days of Activism campaign to battle violence against women and girls. She also worked on the International Day of the Girl.
Erin feels her strong sense of right and wrong makes her a good addition to ISJG.
“Even though I am very introverted, I have always had a strong sense of justice,” she said. “I am also an inquisitive person. One of the best ways to learn about another person’s culture or ideology is being able to sit down and have a conversation with them; learn from them.”
Anna is majoring in history at Greenville University and hopes to make the world a better place for women.
“Feminist topics are really important to me,” Anna said, citing studies that show large discrepancies between men and women in employment and education.
“I’ve done a lot of research into gaps there,” Anna said. “I know globally there is a problem with women and education, as men have more access to it. I’d like to be part of a group that can help change that. Sometimes, you can’t change much as an individual—but you can change a lot as a group.”
Along with ISJG, Anna has a full schedule of classes, plays in her university’s marching and jazz bands, serves as secretary for the college theater’s board of directors, and is part of an environmental hiking club that removes trash left on trails.
Researching and working with others are things Anna looks forward to doing for ISJG. She has worked on an event focusing on “The Girl Child” for the upcoming 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women at United Nations Headquarters in New York in March. As part of ISJG, she and Erin will both attend.
“I am willing to go down rabbit holes, exploring topics, being curious and
working hard to get an answer,” Anna said.
She also believes her faith will be an asset.
“I try and live by what I believe, and I believe we are supposed to love others,” Anna said. “I try to be
kind to people and see they are made in God’s image. I might be the only ‘Jesus’ that person sees that day.”
Major Katherine Clausell, Central territorial social justice and city mission secretary and one of ISJG’s advisors, said, “I am confident that Anna and Erin will represent the Central Territory well. This is a tremendous opportunity for them to be a part of a global community of young women who are passionate about making a positive impact on matters of injustice.”
