What is International Day of the Girl?
The International Day of the Girl is observed annually to recognise girls' rights and to promote their empowerment around the globe.
The International Day of the Girl Child is an annual initiative marked by the United Nations every year since 2012. The day was created in order to increase the awareness of gender inequality and the adversities girls face as a result of humanitarian crises and the cycle of poverty. While these issues exist all year round, this day marks the prevalence of these issues and provokes political conversations for action.
There are 1.1 billion young girls worldwide, many of whom face challenges such as child marriage, child poverty, child labour, period poverty, female genital mutilation and adolescent pregnancies – simply because they’re girls. These unnatural and unfair experiences remove their childhood innocence, forcing them to mature too quickly.