Group of happy African children – Ethiopia
Photo Credit: hadynyah/iStock/Getty Images
International Day of the Girl Child
International Day of Girl child is a global campaign launched by the United Nations in October 2015 to celebrate young women and girls everywhere. This day calls for action to improve girls’ lives in various settings and age levels.
The International Day of the Girl Child focuses on empowering all girls and young women as they strive for their rights through education and health, support for economic participation and leadership positions, protection from violence and discrimination, and gaining access to services that empower young girls around the world.
The theme for this year’s International Day of the Girl Child is ‘Our time is now – our rights, our future.’ Its goal is to spotlight how global progress has created unprecedented opportunities for women and girls to access knowledge, education, and opportunity. The target aligns with Sustainable Development Goal Four (SDG 4) to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
This International Day of the Girl Child is a day to encourage action and raise awareness around the challenges girls face. The day aims to highlight existing challenges and injustices, strengthen everyone’s commitment to end violence against girls and maximise the potential of girls and make girls safe from harmful practices like child marriage and female genital mutilation.
As a global community, we are interested in ensuring girls and all children have their human rights respected and protected. That is why International Day of the Girl Child is a vital opportunity to celebrate the achievements and potential of girls, who are entitled to equitable treatment with their peers—especially during crucial developmental stages like adolescence that set the tone for future success.
Adolescent girls have the right to quality, educated, and healthy lives. This applies during critical developmental years and as they become mature women. When girls are effectively supported during their adolescent years, girls can change the world – both as the empowered girls of today and as tomorrow’s employees, mothers, businesspersons, mentors, household heads, and leaders.
An investment in realising the power of adolescents upholds their rights today. Moreover, it promises a more reasonable and affluent future, one in which half of humanity is an equal partner in solving the problems of climate change, political conflict, economic growth, disease prevention, and global sustainability.
Publishers can celebrate this day by educating readers about the importance of girls’ education, championing the cause and encouraging new projects that lift girls out of poverty.
Girls are breaking boundaries and barriers posed by stereotypes and exclusion, including those directed at children with disabilities and those living in marginalised communities. As entrepreneurs, innovators and initiators of global movements, girls create a relevant world for themselves and future generations.
In conclusion, we are all here to support the girl child. She brings hope, joy and a bright future to our nation. The girl child is a gift. We need to uplift her educationally and financially so that she can live with self-esteem, confidence and a high sense of worth. She will return to us with what we have given her, only better – more educated, ready for the world stage and more productive in society’s growth story! Let us celebrate her as much as possible on this International Day for Girl Child.
International Women’s Day is a global event that celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. This year’s theme, “DigitALL – Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality,” focuses on how technology can be used to promote gender equality and empower women and girls.
One of the key aspects of this theme is mitigating online violence against women and girls. The internet and social media platforms have provided new opportunities for women to connect, share information, and access resources. However, these platforms have also become a breeding ground for hate speech, harassment, and violence against women.
To mitigate online violence, it is important to raise awareness of the issue and provide support for victims. This includes creating safe spaces for women to report abuse and harassment, as well as implementing policies and technologies that can help to identify and prevent such behavior. Additionally, it is important to educate women and girls about their rights and how to protect themselves online.
Another important aspect of the “DigitALL” theme is bridging the gap in digital skills for women and girls. Women and girls are often at a disadvantage when it comes to access to technology and digital tools, which can limit their opportunities in education, employment, and entrepreneurship.
To bridge this gap, it is essential to provide training and resources for women and girls to develop their digital skills. This includes providing access to computers and the internet, as well as training programs that teach basic computer skills, coding, and other technical skills. Additionally, it is important to create mentorship and networking opportunities for women in technology to connect and support one another.
Furthermore, increasing access to technology and digital tools for women and girls is crucial for achieving gender equality. This includes providing access to smartphones and the internet, as well as digital tools and applications that can help women and girls in their daily lives. For example, digital tools for financial management, health, and education can help women and girls to improve their economic status and access to resources.
