International Day of the Girl Child: Celebrating Girl Power & The Launch of the Obama Foundation's Global Girls Alliance

International Day of the Girl Child: Celebrating Girl Power & The Launch of the Obama Foundation’s Global Girls Alliance

In December of 2011, as the result of youth advocacy around the world, the United Nations declared October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child. Its mission is “to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.” It’s a day to focus attention and to take action on advancing rights and opportunities for girls around the world.

International Day of the Girl Child: Celebrating Girl Power & The Launch of the Obama Foundation's Global Girls Alliance - Photo by Deva Darshan via Unsplash - Young African Girl covered in blue paint

Source: Photo by Deva Darshan via Unsplash


The UN describes the importance of this day and supporting girls everywhere, “Adolescent girls have the right to a safe, educated, and healthy life, not only during these critical formative years, but also as they mature into women. If effectively supported during the adolescent years, girls have the potential to change the world – both as the empowered girls of today and as tomorrow’s workers, mothers, entrepreneurs, mentors, household heads, and political leaders.

Empowerment of and investment in girls are key in breaking the cycle of discrimination and violence and in promoting and protecting the full and effective enjoyment of their human rights”
– United Nations Resolution 66/170

2018 Theme

International Day of the Girl Child: Celebrating Girl Power & The Launch of the Obama Foundation's Global Girls Alliance - Photo by Sharon Christina Rørvik on Unsplash - Young Indian girls sitting

Source: Photo by Sharon Christina Rørvik on Unsplash


Each year the UN picks a specific theme to focus on for the International Day of the Girl. October 11, 2018 is dedicated to the concept “With Her: A Skilled GirlForce.” Today’s generation of girls is preparing to enter a world of work that is being transformed by innovation and automation. Educated and skilled workers are in great demand, but roughly a quarter of young people people – most of them female – are currently neither employed or in education or training.
According to the UN, “Of the 1 billion young people – including 600 million adolescent girls – that will enter the workforce in the next decade, more than 90% of those living in developing countries will work in the informal sector, where low or no pay, abuse and exploitation are common.” This is a huge problem!!
International Day of the Girl Child: Celebrating Girl Power & The Launch of the Obama Foundation's Global Girls Alliance - Photo by Aman Bhargava on Unsplash - Young girl in a yellow shirt with flowers in her hair

Source: Photo by Aman Bhargava on Unsplash


On this 11 October, under the theme, With Her: A Skilled GirlForce, International Day of the Girl will mark the beginning of a year-long effort to bring together partners and stakeholders to advocate for, and draw attention and investments to, the most pressing needs and opportunities for girls to attain skills for employability.

“On this International Day of the Girl, let us recommit to supporting every girl to develop her skills, enter the workforce on equal terms and reach her full potential.”
– UN Secretary-General António Guterres

 


Related Article:
The Atlas of Beauty: Women Empowerment Through Portraiture


 

Impact

Since the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child in 2011, the global community has greatly impacted the quality of lives of girls during early childhood.

International Day of the Girl Child: Celebrating Girl Power & The Launch of the Obama Foundation's Global Girls Alliance - Photo by Abigail Keenan on Unsplash - Young girls playing in water

Source: Photo by Abigail Keenan on Unsplash


However, there is still much work to be done, especially in addressing the challenges girls face in the second decade of their lives. “This includes obtaining quality secondary and higher education, avoiding child marriage, receiving information and services related to puberty and reproductive health, and protecting themselves against unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease and gender-based violence,” states the UN’s website.
Nevertheless She Persisted - Drawing by @CourtneyPrivett - girl power

Source: Drawing by @CourtneyPrivett


Now is the time to support the current and upcoming generation of adolescent girls, they are key actors in achieving a sustainable and equitable world! 11 October is not only a day; it is a worldwide revolution!

The Obama Foundation Launches the Global Girls Alliance

An avid supporter of youth advocacy and in particular young girls, Michelle Obama and the Obama Foundation showed their support for the International Day of the Girl Child movement by choosing October 11, 2018 to launch the Global Girls Alliance. The focus of this new program is to empower adolescent girls around the world through education.
Power & Might and Knowing Their Rights That's What Little Girls are Made of! International Day of the Girl Child: Celebrating Girl Power & The Launch of the Obama Foundation's Global Girls Alliance
In promotion of this launch, they posted this wonderful video on social media along with this message, “We believe that change happens from the ground up, so we’re working to support grassroots leaders and to spur action from people like you, all around the world. We can accomplish more together than we can on our own, so I hope you’ll join our alliance—because the future of our world is only as bright as our girls.”

Join the movement! #InternationalDayoftheGirl #DayoftheGirl  #GlobalGirlsAlliance
Learn more at www.un.org/en/events/girlchild/.
 
Words by Anna Beck Bimba
 
Vengeance Table Lamp KOKET - Unique table lamps - brass hands - brass and marble table lamps - feminine table lamps