October 11th, 2020

"My voice, our equal future."

Today, October 11, 2020, is internationally recognized as the "International Day of the Girl."  It is celebrated annually to recognize the strength, power, contribution, and potential for girls worldwide.  In 2020, the focus is involving girls and women in the dialogue and decision-making about their lives, their futures, and their bodies.  

from the World Health Organization (WHO):
International Day of the Girl celebrates the importance, power, and potential of girls around the world. 
It is also a day to highlight girls’ needs and the particular problems they can face, and drive efforts that meet these needs and fulfill their rights – not benevolently for them, but in partnership with them. 
While much progress has been made in the last two decades to ensure every girl is able to grow and develop in good health, there is much still to do. For example, 12 million girls are married before age 18 each year. One in five girls globally has experienced sexual violence. In Eastern and Southern Africa, nearly 80% of new HIV infections among adolescents are among girls.   
No decision for girls should be made without them The 2020 theme of International Day of the Girl is “My voice, our equal future.” This is a striking call to recognize girls’ inheritance of the still-unfinished Beijing Agenda, their expertise on the challenges they face especially for their sexual and reproductive health and rights, and their limitless capacity as change-makers. 
To commemorate the day, WHO co-organized a virtual intergenerational dialogue between girl advocates and high-level leaders about putting girls and their rights at the centre of decision-making processes. 
Lubinda, a 15-year old advocate from Zambia, captured the sentiment of the event: “If every child can be given the chance to express themselves and talk about issues that are affecting them, then we can have a wide range of voices being represented.”  
“At the same time, we have to be equipped with the knowledge, because without it, we will not be able to participate [in international systems].” 
*Photo credit (above): WHO