International Day of the Girl Child

October 11, International Day of the Girl Child has been celebrated for more than ten years in a row. This international holiday is necessary so that girls can be heard among the general rumble of voices. On October 11, it is customary to talk about the problems of girls, about their rights and opportunities. Today, this holiday is still relevant, because the number of child marriages, cases of rape and incidents of cruelty towards girls remains at a high level.

History

The holiday was founded on December 19, 2011, when the UN adopted a resolution declaring October 11 International Day of the Girl Child. However, the struggle for the rights of girls and women began much earlier. For example, in 1995 in Beijing, for the first time, the Beijing Declaration called for the rights of girls and women.

The celebration of International Day of the Girl Child began as part of the NGO Plan International’s “Because I’m a Girl” campaign. This organization operates in more than 70 countries around the world. Since 2007, Plan International has been promoting the need to care for girls around the world, and especially for children in poor countries.

During the campaign, a non-governmental organization asked the federal government of Canada to form a coalition of supporters. After that, the UN intervened. It was Canada who proposed making October 11 an international holiday.

Interesting facts

The following interesting facts are associated with the holiday:

• about 33 marriages with underage brides are recorded every day in the world;
• according to the survey, about 44% of girls aged 15 to 19 believed that a husband had the right to beat his wife;
• girls aged 5 to 14 spend more than 28 hours a week on unpaid child labor, which is 2 times more than boys;
• 96% of those trafficked for sexual exploitation are women and girls.

How to celebrate

In order to eradicate the problems that most girls and young women face, the celebration of International Day of the Girl Child must be responsibly. For example, information should be disseminated that although girls, although women should not tolerate discrimination and cruelty, they can receive help and salvation in the relevant organizations. You can also make a donation to official organizations that help disadvantaged girls around the world.

When is International Day of the Girl Child celebrated in 2022?

International Day of the Girl Child is observed on October 11 each year.

Observations