Today, October 11th, is International Day of the Girl (specifically of the girl-child), or IDG. This holiday was established in 2012 and it aims to “highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.” There are 1.1 billion girls on this earth and many of them are being denied basic human rights and privileges. They are subject to physical, emotional, and sexual violence. They are also often denied access to education, legal rights, protection from discrimination, and protection from forced marriages. IDG brings international attention to the problems that young girls face every single day. It is meant to empower the next generation of women.
Here are some startling facts:
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“Each year, 15 million girls are married before the age of 18.That is 28 girls every minute, or 1 every 2 seconds.”
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“At least 200 million women and girls alive today have undergone female genital mutilation in the 30 countries with representative data on prevalence. In most of these countries, the majority of girls were cut before age 5.”
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“Around 120 million girls worldwide (slightly more than 1 in 10) have experienced forced intercourse or other forced sexual acts at some point in their lives.”
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“As of January 2017, only 18.3 per cent of government ministers were women.”
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“As with all humanitarian emergencies, women and girls are among the most vulnerable. Women and girls face a significantly increased risk for unwanted pregnancy, gender-based violence, STIs and maternal mortality.”
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“There are about 63 million girls out of primary school around the world and this number grows to nearly 100 million when you include adolescent girls. Girls are more likely to have to stay at home and tend younger siblings and other household chores.”
To take action against these injustices, visit the following sites:
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“Girls Not Brides” fights to eliminate child marriage- https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/take-action/
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UNICEF is working to fight for gender equality- https://www.unicef.org/gender/gender_dayofthegirl.html
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“The Global Campaign for Education” is working to ensure that all girls receive an education- http://campaignforeducationusa.org
Sources:
http://www.un.org/en/events/girlchild/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Day_of_the_Girl_Child
https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/about-child-marriage/
http://campaignforeducationusa.org/topic/detail/whats-happening-with-girls-education