World observes first International Day of Girl Child

The first ever International Day of the Girl Child was observed on October 11, 2012.

The theme for this year is “Ending Child Marriage”. The UN General Assembly had announced in 2011 to observe this day as International Day of Girl Child, to recognize rights of girls and the unique challenges they face around the world.
As per figures, around one in three young women aged 20 to 24 – (approximately 70 million) get married before the age of 18. Although there is fall in overall proportion of child brides in the last 30 years, the menace persists, particularly in rural areas and among the poorest. If things remain same, the number of girls who will marry by 18 year will be around 150 million in the next decade.