International Day of the Girl Child | United Nations | today's special 11 october |

 

In Focus: International Day of the Girl 2020 

Statements

Op-ed: Why we’re uniting in support of African girl leaders to beat AIDS and shift power
In a joint op-ed for International Day if the Girl Child, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima, UNESCO Director General  Audrey Azoulay, UNFPA Executive Director  Natalia Kanem and UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore highlight the need for vital investments and transformational policy shifts so that all of Africa’s girls can enjoy all of their rights to education and empowerment.

A platform for action

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing the rights of not only women but girls. Now, nearly 25 years later, the Platform for Action remains a powerful foundation for assessing progress on gender equality. It calls for a world where every girl and woman can realize all her rights, such as to live free from violence, to attend and complete school, to choose when and whom she marries, and to earn equal pay for equal work. 

The Platform for Action specifically calls on the global community to: 

• Eliminate all forms of discrimination against girls.  
• Eliminate negative cultural attitudes and practices against girls.  
• Promote and protect the rights of girls and increase awareness of their needs and potential.  
• Eliminate discrimination against girls in education, skills development and training.  
• Eliminate discrimination against girls in health and nutrition.  
• Eliminate the economic exploitation of child labour and protect young girls at work.  
• Eradicate violence against girls.  
• Promote girls’ awareness of and participation in social, economic and political life.  
• Strengthen the role of the family in improving the status of girls.  

Celebrate girl power on Social Media  

Girls Girls are taking action, finding their voices and expressing their visions for an equal future. This Day of the Girl, come together online to celebrate their talents and accomplishments.

Access our social media package in Trello and Dropbox (available in multiple languages), featuring motivational cards, activities, animations, stickers, videos and stories.

1. On International Day of the Girl Child, 11 October, amplify the voices and rights of girls everywhere.
2. The theme for this year, “My voice, our equal future”, reimagines a better world inspired and led by adolescent girls, as part of the global Generation Equality movement.
3. Girls worldwide are demanding a life free from gender-based violence, access to health, skills, recognition and investment as leaders of social change.
4. Watch this space for inspiring stories from girls to know, live conversations, and updates from our partners.
5. On International Day of the Girl Child, 11 October, amplify the voices and rights of girls everywhere.
6. The theme for this year, “My voice, our equal future”, reimagines a better world inspired and led by adolescent girls, as part of the global Generation Equality movement.
7. Girls worldwide are demanding a life free from gender-based violence, access to health, skills, recognition and investment as leaders of social change.
8. Watch this space for inspiring stories from girls to know, live conversations, and updates from our partners.