International Day of the Girl Child is an annual and internationally recognized event that is observed on October 11th.
It is celebrated to empower girls and amplify their voices. This day is also observed to create awareness of gender inequality faced by girls worldwide based on their gender.
This year, we commemorate the 10th anniversary of the international girl child. It’s a hopeful sign that over the past 10 years, things have improved for girls as more attention is being paid to issues that matter to them.
This international Day was declared by the United Nations; it is also called the Day of Girls and the International Day of the Girl. October 11, 2012, was the first Day of the Girl Child.
Each year’s Day of Girls has a theme; the first celebration in 2012 was “ending child marriage”, the second, in 2013, was “innovating for girls’ education”, the third, in 2014, was “Empowering Adolescent Girls: Ending the Cycle of Violence”, and the fourth, in 2015, was “the power of Adolescent Girl: Vision for 2030”.
The 2016 theme was “Girls’ Progress = Goals’ Progress: What Counts for Girls”, the 2017 theme was “Empower Girls: Before, during and after the crisis”, and the theme for 2018 was “With Her: A Skilled Girl Force”.
In 2022, the theme is “Our time is now-our rights, our future “.
“Girls around the world continue to face unprecedented challenges in their education, their physical and mental wellness, and the protections needed for a life without violence.
Girls with disabilities face additional barriers to accessing support and services,” the United Nations’ official website states.
Several events are held to promote the Day of Girls. Some, such as the concert In Mumbai, India are sponsored by the United Nations.
Local organizations have developed their events such as football matches where printed T-shirts on the International Day of Girls are distributed.
‘As GEM, our main vision is to see an equitable and just society, where girls and women enjoy their human rights but this has been hindered by challenges as Girls face a lot of challenges when it comes to their sexuality; gender violence, and access to sexual reproductive health services.
“We have set very good policies but the problem comes in during implementation. In an attempt to curb the problems that we face, I would urge that we reinforce and address the recommendations that have been put in place. ‘Said Corazon Ayuma, the programming officer at African Gender and Media Initiative (GEM), on the Signs TV breakfast show.
As a way to celebrate the International Day of the Girl, people are urged to share human interest stories, blogs, and videos of girl-change makers.
Through this, a larger audience becomes more informed concerning girls’ rights enabling them to firm up services for girls.
Moreover, everyone is reminded to engage government officials and policymakers in conversations to make more targeted investments that help girls overcome inequalities.
BY STACY ODHIAMBO