Friday night has a reputation: a time to kick back and relax after the work week, for some; a time to get dressed up and experience a night out on the town — be it here or in another town, for others.

This past Friday night offered a different type of night out, one that will serve young girls for the rest of their lives.

Daughters of Worth, a nonprofit with a mission of education and empowering young girls to reach their fullest potential, teamed up with Church of the Good Shepherd, the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, True Justice International, ENC Stop Human Trafficking Now, the Boys & Girls Club of the Coastal Plain, Bright Futures of Beaufort County and Ruth’s House, to share some knowledge that girls should really know, about dating violence, internet safety and human trafficking.

The Empower HER! event, called #Love&Lipgloss, shed light on several topics that spend their lives in the dark — the untalked about, because these conversations are not easy. Teaching a young girl how to recognize and protect herself from very real threats that exist in the world today is difficult; for a young girl trying to navigate such things on her own without that advice, is even more so.

There are few people who would recognize what signs point to a trafficked human being — now these girls do. They have the tools to be able to recognize whether they’re being targeted for trafficking, whether their friends are, and what steps to take to seek help.

There are few people who expect their child to end up in an abusive relationship — whether mentally or physically abusive — at such a young age. Abusive behavior, however, is something that is learned, and children learn early and often from their elders. Now, these girls know how to recognize abusive behavior and call it what it is.

There are few people who would use the internet to do harm to a child, but a few do. Now these girls know how to protect themselves from the predators that exist in the cyberworld.

This event was the first of an ongoing series that Daughters of Worth founder Liz Liles said will continue to address hard topics that don’t often make for comfortable conversations — mixed in with some fun and entertainment. They are open to any middle- or high-school girl in the county who wants to participate.

Empowering girls with knowledge they will carry with them through their lives is a cause worth doing and Daughters of Worth is doing it. Learn more about Daughters of Worth and the Empower HER! events at www.daughtersofworth.org.