October 11: International Day of Girl Child – Update (October, 2022)

October 11, 2022

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

Key facts

International Day of the Girl Child aims to raise global awareness about the gender inequality faced by girls across the world.
On this occasion, the United Nations and other global entities organize events and talks focusing on topics like child marriage, access to education, violence against women etc.
This day is also known as the Day of the Girls and the International Day of the Girl.
The 10^th anniversary of the International Day of the Girl Child is observed in 2022.
The theme for this year was chosen by the UNICEF as “Our Time Is Now — Our Rights, Our Future”.
The theme focuses on the issues and challenges faced by girls. These challenges are worsened by climate change, human conflict and COVID-19 pandemic.
It calls for investing in the future of girls, their agency and potential.

Background

The inaugural edition of the International Day of the Girl Child was celebrated on October 11, 2012. The theme for that day was “Ending child marriage”. The idea to dedicate a day for the empowerment of girls came from an NGO’s campaign called “Because I am a Girl”. The NGO called for the UN’s involvement in this campaign. Canada was the first country in the world to formally propose the resolution to create the International Day of the Girl Child. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted this day on December 2011.

Significance

According to the data from the United Nations, a maximum of 10 million girls are currently at risk of child marriage. Girls are the major victims of sexual exploitation. Worldwide, nearly 1 in 4 girls are not in education, employment, or training. This figure is higher when compared with 1 in 10 boys not having access to these facilities. The International Day of the Girl Child seeks to address this issue and showcase the achievements of girls worldwide. It also advocates for gender equality and girls’ rights, which can help girls to realize their full potential and contribute towards the creation of a better world.

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