International Day of the Girl Child
By Rachel Ware
October 11, 2022, is the tenth anniversary of the International Day of the Girl Child. The day was established by the United Nations to increase attention on girls specifically because when not focused on, their problems are not properly addressed. The UN highlights on their website the risks girls are facing globally, which I encourage you to read. The past ten years of work for girls have been challenged by climate change, the pandemic, and humanitarian conflict, so this year is a time to reflect on the past decade and plan ahead for the next decade to do more for girls internationally.
In my time at CGEST, I have seen the focus on girls, especially girls of color, taken seriously to create an impact that will last. Distinct and intersectional issues exist for girls related to their gender, their age, other identities, and their communities. These experiences must be acknowledged. The UN cites limited investment into girl’s rights as a key reason for not seeing a greater change in the past ten years. Girls can be powerful change agents, but they need the support of us all to be safe and reach their goals.
UNICEF calls for putting girls at the forefront of change efforts by providing resources and services for girls. UNICEF also gets involved by amplifying the voices of, investing in, and addressing the factors that are barriers for girls in their communities.
Support those who are supporting girls every day. Set a goal for yourself by October 11 to donate, to share what a girl is doing, to call to action a governmental body to better support girls, or to continue your work to improve the well-being of girls.
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