International Day of the Girl 2022
"Our time is now—our rights, our future"
In 2022, we commemorate the 10th anniversary of the International Day of the Girl (IDG). In these last 10 years, there has been increased attention on issues that matter to girls amongst governments, policymakers and the general public, and more opportunities for girls to have their voices heard on the global stage. Yet, investments in girls’ rights remain limited and girls continue to confront a myriad of challenges to fulfilling their potential; made worse by concurrent crises of climate change, COVID-19 and humanitarian conflict. Girls around the world continue to face unprecedented challenges to 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. COVID-19 has worsened existing burdens on girls around the world and worn away important gains made over the last decade.
With adversity, however, comes resourcefulness, creativity, tenacity, and resilience. The world's 600 million adolescent girls have shown time and time again that given the skills and the opportunities, they can be the changemakers driving progress in their communities, building back stronger for all, including women, boys and men.
Girls are ready for a decade of acceleration forward. It is time for us to stand accountable – with and for all girls – and to invest in a future that believes in their agency, leadership and potential.
A call to action from UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell
A call to action
From October 2022 — October 2023, we will collectively call for greater attention, investment and action on:
- Supporting the leadership of all adolescent girls at the forefront of change efforts, including by hearing their voices, responding to their asks, and nurturing spaces for their inclusion in decision-making.
- Increasing resources for and investments in all adolescent girls, including for the networks and organizations that support quality and inclusive education and prioritize their well-being.
- Improving access to and uptake of inclusive adolescent girl-centered services at all times but especially in crisis response and recovery
INSIGHT: A Call for Renewed Action this International Day of the Girl from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF and UN Women. All girls deserve better—the world deserves better. This year’s theme puts the international community on notice. It calls upon us to do better collectively. Because if anniversaries are normally associated with celebration, this year is a wake-up call to refocus attention on girls and their solutions. In eight years, when the SDG deadline arrives, it should be girls, not us, calling us to support their rights and their future. Our Time is Now: Our Rights, Our Future.
DATA FOR ACTION: 6 ways the lives of girls are different today than they were a decade ago. Ten years since the first International Day of the Girl, we take a moment to consider how the world has changed for girls over that decade. While the lives of girls have undoubtedly improved in many respects, they still face unprecedented challenges to their education, their physical and mental wellness, and the protections needed for a life without violence. Based on available trend data, these are 6 take-aways that demonstrate this change and call for action on the work that remains to be done.
BLOG: Migrant girl and Voices of Youth blogger, Yasmina Benslimane on why we must invest in women and girls on the move to unlock their potential. "I have lived in a total of seven countries, mainly for better educational and professional opportunities. Although each experience was different, I did come to one realization: gender inequality is universal." We won’t go far if we don’t invest in women and girls on the move and if we don’t start seeing them as agents of change. Most importantly, nothing will change if they are kept out of decisions involving them. “Nothing about them, without them.” They must be included in every step, in every process and at every table.
STORY: Potential unlocked: girls and young women on the move to a brighter future. Talent is universal, but opportunity – sadly, is not. Many children and young people on the move grow up deprived of an education, learning-to-earning opportunities, and the long-term benefits they afford. For adolescent girls and young women, the gulf between aspirations and opportunities can be even greater. To listen to the voices of young people on the move and learn from their ideas, UNICEF launched a U-Report poll on aspirations and barriers to learning and earning, with a focus on the different experiences of adolescent girls and young women – on the move and from host communities. Here's what we learned.
RESOURCE: Activist Suitcase - Learn everything you need to know to get organized and fight for gender equality. The Activist Suitcase is a toolkit designed to accompany organizations of activist girls and adolescents in the defense of their rights and to support their participation in processes and advocacy for gender equality. Created by UNICEF in collaboration with Fundación Niñas Valientes, the Activist Suitcase will accompany you on a journey of discovery. You will learn by travelling through four independent but interconnected stations. We invite you to discover all the stations and carry the Activist Suitcase as your companion in the journey towards gender equality. Let’s embark on this adventure!
Ways to get involved
- Join the IDG 24-hour Virtual Forum, convened by Plan International. There are over 20 events to inspire you, expand your perspective, and help you celebrate 10 years of #IDG.
- Share human interest stories, blogs and videos of girl changemakers, and the inspiring networks and organizations that are resourcing girls, letting girls lead, and strengthening services for girls. Let’s collectively amplify their leadership, actions, and impact to inspire others.
- Engage government officials, policymakers and stakeholders to make more targeted investments that tackle inequalities experienced by girls, especially while accessing mental health and psychosocial support services in the face of conflict, forced migration, natural disasters, and the effects of climate change
- Engage key female influencers across industries to be the face of change we want girls to see as possible. Role models speak a thousand words. Let’s change the global conversation and public perception of girl leaders.
- Amplify your commitment to raising awareness about and addressing factors that hold girls in your country and region back
Contact
Joy Lynn Alegarbes, Lead Coordinator for International Day of the Girl
jlalegarbes@unicef.org
Fareena Alam, Lead Communication Specialist, Gender Equality
farealam@unicef.org