International Day of the Girl is observed today
11 October 2012, Kyiv/New York. This year the International Day of the Girl Child is observed for the fisrt time following the resolution of the United Nation General Assembly. Girls face discrimination and violence every day across the world. The International Day of the Girl Child focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights. Girls with low levels of schooling are more likely to be married early, and child marriage has been shown to virtually end a girl’s education. Conversely, girls with secondary schooling are up to six times less likely to marry as children, making education one of the best strategies for protecting girls and combating child marriage. Preventing child marriage will protect girls’ rights and help reduce their risks of violence, early pregnancy, HIV infection, and maternal death and disability, including obstetric fistula. When girls are able to stay in school and avoid being married early, they can build a foundation for a better life for themselves and their families and participate in the progress of their nations. Empowering girls and safeguarding their rights is at the heart of the issue. Governments, civil society and UN agencies, namely UNFPA, UNICEF and UN Women, are working together to end child marriage. Further commitment and resources are required to accelerate action that will empower girls and scale up successful interventions’. For more information, please contact Noreen Khan norkhan@unicef.org. ***
|
