Every year on October 11th, the world celebrates International Day of the Girl Child, an event that aims to give girls a voice and encourage them to use it. International Day of the Girl Child, held annually on October 11, is modelled after the March 8 holiday, International Women’s Day, which honours the achievements of adult women while calling for the advancement of women everywhere. Concurrently, this day is set aside to address the prejudice, violence, and lack of educational opportunities that girls of all ages endure because of their gender.
This year, “Day of the Girl Child,” as it is often called, will focus on the digital age. To paraphrase, “our generation.” It’s an opportunity for people all across the world to learn about the challenges females confront in the digital sphere. The bulk of the world’s 2.2 billion individuals under the age of 25 who do not have access to the internet are young women. In many societies, men are given preferential treatment in terms of education and employment possibilities, therefore International Women’s Day serves as a celebration of the achievements of women. Statistics show that all throughout the globe, one in four women are either jobless, undereducated, or unskilled, whereas just one in ten men fall into such categories. While we have come far enough to celebrate today as International Girls’ Day, there is still much work to be done.
HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL CHILD
This day has been recognised as “International Day of the Girl Child” or “International Girls’ Day” since December 19, 2011. The girls were honoured with the passing of a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly on October 11.
The Beijing Declaration, written during the World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, was the first document to explicitly call for the rights of women and girls. It was the first plan of its kind to focus specifically on the problems encountered by young women all over the globe.
Plan International’s “Because I am a Girl” campaign is credited with launching what is now known as International Day of the Girl Child. Plan International is a global nonprofit with operations in over 70 countries. It was the driving force behind a campaign launched in 2007 to raise awareness about the need of investing in the well-being of girls throughout the world, but notably in low-income nations. The goal of the campaign was to help girls, particularly in underdeveloped areas, by protecting and empowering them, advocating for their rights, and lifting them out of poverty. During the campaign, advocates for International Day of the Girl Child approached the Canadian federal government to organise a coalition in favour of the initiative. The United Nations did get involved however.
An worldwide action plan to promote women’s rights and protect the future of young girls was approved by governments during the 1995 World Conference on Women in Beijing. Plan International’s push for this issue gathered momentum as other organisations joined in calling for the safety of girls and women. Canada subsequently made an official resolution proposal to the United Nations. Because of the severity of the problem of child marriage, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on December 19, 2011, declaring October 11, 2012, as the first ever International Day of the Girl Child. The celebration of this day takes on a new focus each year. The elimination of marriages between minors was the focus of the opening ceremony. Since then, this day has been honoured in many countries, and many programmes for women’s and girls’ empowerment have gained traction; also, each year a new topic is chosen to bring attention to specific challenges that girls confront.
The judgement paints a vivid picture of the genuine empowerment of women, who are just as important to economic progress as boys, as shown in its findings. It acknowledges that ending discrimination and violence against women and girls requires giving young women a voice in matters that directly impact them so that they may grow up to be strong, independent women.
WHY INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL CHILD IS IMPORTANT
It empowers girls!
Standing out for the rights of tiny girls who are quietly mistreated across the globe is a remarkable act in the midst of the hubbub around holidays honouring fathers, mothers, and women. Today is a day to celebrate the ladies who bring joy to our lives. An educated and talented woman is more likely to reduce infant mortality, has been shown to take better care of the home, and so makes a greater contribution to society than an ignorant and unskilled socially mistreated woman.
It works to eliminate deep-rooted gender-based issues
Gender-based discrimination and oppression are pervasive problems in any community, but especially in developing nations, where harmful attitudes and practises have been handed down down the centuries. To celebrate International Day of the Girl Child, people all around the globe are working to end the terrible conditions in which girls throughout the world are forced to live.
Empowered girls grow up to be empowered women
The adolescent years are pivotal for everyone. The future success of society depends on how we treat young women. Empowering them while they are young increases the likelihood that they will grow up to be strong, independent women. We all benefit as a community. Increased public understanding is directly responsible for all the efforts made to support young women. By commemorating this day on a global scale, disadvantaged women and girls are given a chance to speak out for better access to resources like education and healthcare. This allows individuals to share their experiences of violence and to call for a stop to it. To the extent that we succeed in giving them a stronger voice, they will be able to overcome their situation and achieve true equality.
