International day of the girl . The World is home to more than 1.1 billion girls under the age of 18, who are poised to become the largest generation of female leaders, entrepreneurs and change-makers the world has ever seen.
Globally, October 11th is celebrated as the International Day of the Girl since 2012. In the last eight years, more and more countries are joining hands and raising their voices to ensure that girls receive equal privileges as boys.
International Day of the Girl celebrates the importance, power, and potential of girls around the world. It is also a day to highlight girls’ needs and the particular problems they face, and drive efforts that meet these needs and fulfill their rights. This can only be possible if their voices are also heard.
While much progress has been made in the last two decades to ensure every girl is able to grow and develop in good health, there is still a lot to do. For example, 12 million girls are married before the age of 18 each year. Many have experienced sexual violence. In Eastern and Southern Africa, nearly 80% of new HIV infections among adolescents are among girls.
As a global society, we need to address the challenges, biases, dangers, and injustices young girls deal with all over the world—with particular focus on parts of the globe where child marriage is widely practised, such as Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, South East Asia and North Africa.
Earlier this year, the UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore reported, “Globally, 2 million girls are still marrying in childhood every year, causing irreversible damage to their future, health and well-being.”
Education and empowerment are mighty tools we can use to address these problems. If the girl population of the world is given the needed rights and access, they could grow up to change the world. Over the years, there has been an increase in awareness about girls and their rights.
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The youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Malala Yousufzai in her famous speech in 2013, called for urgent prioritization of education around the world and declared, “One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world. Education is the only solution.”
In fact, experts from the Brookings Institution believe secondary education for girls could be the most successful and cost-effective investment against climate change.
Studies show that educated girls are less likely to contract HIV, and when women are educated, there end up being more jobs for everyone. According to the Malala Fund, if all girls attended school for 12 years, low- and middle-income countries could add $92 billion to their economies annually.
Last year, the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) updated its Atlas of Gender Inequality in Education. The database is used by policymakers and scholars for discussions about gender equality, health and education for women and girls around the world. The most recent update shows that the gender gap persists in the African continent, though there are broad differences within the region.
The statistics from Africa are mind-boggling. We need to fight this disparity and we need to start working on it today.
As COVID-19 moves more of our lives online, it’s vital that this space is safe for girls. Did you know cyberbullying and online abuse are pertinent issues our youth are facing? The girls in particular are targeted and many times are harassed online.
A recent study showed that 1 in 3 women worldwide has experienced physical or sexual violence. Emerging data shows that since the outbreak of COVID-19, violence against women and girls (VAWG), and particularly domestic violence, has Intensified.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
If we want a healthy and peaceful world for our coming generations, we need to act now. Every little step can make a difference – the simplest form being to support a charity that is working to fight these issues.
We, at Helpers Social Development Foundation, are adamant about improving the lives of girls in Nigeria. You can donate via Paypal or simply reach out to us on donate@helpersfoundation.org