The International Day of the Girl Child is held every year on October 11. It is a day devoted to elevating the voices of girls and empowering them. Similar to its adult counterpart, International Women’s Day, which is commemorated on March 8, International Day of the Girl Child, which is observed on March 8, honours adolescent girls by encouraging the creation of more opportunities for them. This day aims to lessen issues that young girls face globally depending on their gender, such as child marriage, insufficient educational chances, abuse, and prejudice. The appropriately called “Day of the Girl Child,” as it is sometimes known, has as its theme this year “Digital generation. This generation. The global community can use it as a forum to learn about the challenges girls face online. There are 2.2 billion people under the age of 25, mostly girls, who do not have access to the internet. In many countries, where the male of our species has better access to education and opportunity by virtue of being male, this day seeks to highlight the lot of girls as opposed to the role of boys. Statistical statistics across the globe show that one in four girls is unemployed, uneducated, or unskilled, compared to one in ten guys. This day has been observed as “International Day of the Girl Child” or simply “International Girls’ Day” since December 19, 2011. A resolution honouring the girls on October 11 was approved by the UN General Assembly.
The Beijing Declaration, which was initially adopted in 1995 during the Beijing World Conference on Women, proclaimed the rights of women and girls. It was the first blueprint in world history to have acknowledged the importance of solving problems faced by adolescent girls everywhere. The worldwide non-governmental organisation Plan International’s “Because I am a Girl” campaign is where the International Day of the Girl Child got its start. A non-governmental organisation called Plan International operates in almost 70 different nations. In 2007, it was the driving force behind the campaign that sought to raise awareness about the importance of fostering girls everywhere, but notably in impoverished nations where conditions are worse. The goal of the campaign was to support girls, especially those in underdeveloped nations, by promoting their rights and helping them escape poverty. The campaign gave birth to the concept of the International Day of the Girl Child, which became a reality when its representatives asked the Canadian federal government to build a coalition of supporters. The United Nations eventually got engaged. Countries adopted an action plan to strengthen women’s rights and protect young girls’ futures internationally during the Beijing World Conference on Women in 1995. It got more popularity because to Plan International’s campaign and the voices of other organisations who spoke out in favour of protecting girls and women. Then, Canada formally advocated that it be adopted as a resolution by the UN General Assembly. Thus, on December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution designating October 11, 2012, as the first International Day of the Girl Child, with a focus on the serious problem of child marriages. This day is celebrated with a different theme every year. Girls continue to suffer unheard-of obstacles to their education, to their physical and mental health, and to the safeguards required for a life free from abuse. Access to resources and support is more complicated for disabled girls. COVID-19 has exacerbated already-heavy responsibilities on females around the world and erased significant advancements made in the previous ten years.
Since poverty is a major factor in child marriage, girls shouldn’t be sacrificed for the financial well-being of their families. Edu world on this day spread the message that, let a girl be who she is. And may a woman’s wedding day be remembered for the right reasons, with tears shed in celebration of new beginnings rather than in mourning of old ones.
