October 11 is International Day of the Girl: Taking a Global Stand #DayOfTheGirl

Thursday October 11 2012 marks the very first International Day of the Girl, a movement established by the United Nations General Assembly to have an annual day to not only celebrate girls around the world for who they are, but to also raise awareness and discussion of the array on unique challenges that girls face globally.

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According to the Official Day of the Girl website:

“In reserving a day for advocacy and action by and for girls, the UN has signaled its commitment to end gender stereotypes, discrimination, violence, and economic disparities that disproportionately affect girls… including gender violence, early marriage, child labor, and discrimination at work.” [UN.org]

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I am very excited about this special day. Growing up, I experienced more than my fair share of issues with discrimination, stereotyping, gender bias, and feelings of inferiority. Now that I am a mother of two daughters, I do all that I can to educate them about the issues of girls’ rights that still remain in our world today.

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I want my daughters to always know that they are strong and powerful beyond measure. I want them to be fearless, and hold tight to the belief that anything is possible for them to achieve. That no one can ever make them feel inferior without their consent, and that they always have the right to choose and pave their own way. I want them to be equipped with the knowledge that they have the right to be treated equally and fairly in all situations.

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Unfortunately, there are millions of girls around the world who do not have those options.

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One of the conditions that has caused a significantly impact on girls’ options is child marriage, which is the focus of this year’s International Day of the Girl.

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According to the United Nations website, 1 in 3 women age 20-24 globally married prior to age 18, with a third of that number having married prior to age 15. Child marriage has an extremely high probability of opening the door to a wide array of health and life-threatening risks for girls such as high-risk pregnancy, reduced education, disease, abuse, poverty, and more.

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This year the UN is calling upon everyone around the globe to take action in raising awareness to this urgent issue. By raising more awareness and addressing the challenges girls face on a global scale, a change can be made for the better.

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No girl should ever feel as if they do not have choices. No girl should ever be made to feel powerless. I am a firm believer that all girls everywhere should be celebrated, cherished, and loved every day and have a fair chance to live a full and successful life. Every girl around the globe should have equal access to the resources they need to ensure a bright and promising future. The time has come for every girl to feel empowered–and be given the opportunity—to run the world.

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Here are ways that you can get involved and support International Day of the Girl:

• Visit dayofthegirl.org and un.org  to learn how to get involved or make a donation
• Participate in the first Day of the Girl Virtual Summit
• Sign the online petition to get a proclamation for a National Day of the Girl issued for the United States
• Connect with International Day of the Girl on Facebook and Twitter

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I am a proud member of the Global Team of 200, a highly specialized group of members of Mom Bloggers for Social Good that concentrates on issues involving women and girls, children, world hunger and maternal health.

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