October 11: International Day of Girl Child

Every year, October 11 is commemorated as International Day of Girl Child by the United Nations. The day is important as it raises awareness of issues faced by girls internationally. The major problems faced by girls includes forced child marriage, legal rights, medical rights, education, nutrition.

Theme: Girl force – Unscripted and unstoppable

Background

The day is being observed all over the world since October 11, 2012. The proposal for the day was initiated by Canada.

In 1995, at the fourth World Conference of Women in Beijing, around 30,000 women and men from 200 countries determined to recognize the rights of women and girls as human rights. The movement has expanded today supporting adolescent girls, tackling issues like child marriage, gender-based inequality, gender-based violence and girls rights to enter places of worship during menstruation. Girls are proving they are unscripted and unstoppable!

History

The day began as a project called “Plan International” by a Canada based NGO that operated worldwide. The campaign of the NGO, “Because I am a Girl” raised awareness about the importance of nurturing girls globally.

Month: Current Affairs - October, 2019