View source for International Day of the Girl Child

{{Infobox holiday
|holiday_name=International Day of the Girl Child
|type=international
|nickname=International Day of the Girl, Day of Girls, Girl's Day 
|date=11 October
|scheduling=same day each year
|frequency=annual
|duration=1 day
|significance=[[Raising awareness]] of issues facing girls internationally, such as education, nutrition, forced child marriage, legal rights, and medical rights
|firsttime=11 October 2012
}}
{{Feminism sidebar}}

'''International Day of the Girl Child''' is an [[list of minor secular observances#October|international observance]] day declared by the United Nations; it is also called the '''Day of Girls''' and the '''International Day of the Girl'''. [[October 11]], 2012, was the first Day of the Girl Child. The observation supports more opportunity for girls and increases awareness of [[gender inequality]] faced by girls worldwide based upon their gender. This inequality includes areas such as [[right to education|access to education]], nutrition, legal rights, medical care, and protection from discrimination, [[violence against women]] and [[forced marriage|forced]] [[child marriage]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/10/united-nations-malala-girls-education.html|title=As Malala Recovers, U.N. Marks International Day of the Girl Child|date=11 October 2012|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=11 October 2016}}</ref> The celebration of the day also "reflects the successful [[emergence]] of girls and young women as a distinct cohort in development policy, programming, campaigning and research."<ref>{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uepcBgAAQBAJ&q=%22international%20day%20of%20the%20girl%22&pg=PA895|title=The Oxford Handbook of Transnational Feminist Movements|last1=Hendricks|first1=Sarah|last2=Bachan|first2=Keshet|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2015|isbn=9780199943494|editor-last=Baksh|editor-first=Rawwida|pages=895|chapter=Because I Am a Girl: The Emergence of Girls in Development|editor-last2=Harcourt|editor-first2=Wendy}}</ref>

==Background==
International Day of the Girl increases awareness of issues faced by girls around the world. Many{{how many|date=June 2017}} global development plans{{which|date=June 2017}} do not include or consider girls, and their issues become "invisible".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/10/06/242172.html|title=World Gears for First Ever 'International Day of the Girl Child'|date=6 October 2012|work=Al Arabiya|access-date=11 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012074735/http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/10/06/242172.html|archive-date=12 October 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>  More than 62 million girls around the world had no access to education, as of ''c.'' 2014, according to USAID.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.usaid.gov/letgirlslearn|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701153244/http://www.usaid.gov/letgirlslearn|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-07-01|title=Let Girls Learn &#124; U.S. Agency for International Development }}</ref>  Worldwide and collectively, girls ages 5 to 14 spend more than 160 million hours more on [[Housekeeping|household chores]] than boys of the same age do.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://motto.time.com/4526281/international-day-girl-2016/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012080901/http://motto.time.com/4526281/international-day-girl-2016/|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 12, 2016|title=What to Know About the UN's International Day of the Girl|last=Haynes|first=Suyin|date=11 October 2016|work=Motto|publisher=TIME|access-date=11 October 2016}}</ref> Globally, one in four girls are married before age 18.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/oct/11/how-are-you-marking-international-day-of-the-girl-share-your-stories-guardianwitness|title=How Are You Marking International Day of the Girl? Share Your Stories|last=Ford|first=Liz|date=11 October 2016|work=The Guardian|access-date=11 October 2016}}</ref> On October 11, 2016, [[Emma Watson]], a United Nations Women's Goodwill Ambassador, urged countries and families worldwide to end [[child marriage|forced child marriage]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/World/2016/1011/Emma-Watson-s-powerful-words-on-International-Day-of-the-Girl|title=Emma Watson's Powerful Words on International Day of the Girl|last=Beck|first=Christina|date=11 October 2016|work=The Christian Science Monitor|access-date=11 October 2016}}</ref> Many{{how many|date=June 2017}} girls around the world are [[social vulnerability|vulnerable]] to acts of [[sexual violence]] and the [[Suspect|perpetrators]] often{{how often|date=June 2017}} go unpunished.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/10/20121010614437332.html|title=A Much Needed International Day of the Girl|last=Picq|first=Manuela|date=11 October 2012|work=Al Jazeera|access-date=11 October 2016}}</ref>

The Day of Girls helps raise awareness not only of the issues that girls face, but also of what is likely to happen when those problems are solved. For example, educating girls helps reduce the rate of child marriage, disease and helps strengthen the [[economy]] by helping girls have access to higher paying jobs.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/11/education-a-focus-on-international-day-of-the-girl-child/|title=Education a Focus on International Day of the Girl Child|last=Krache|first=Donna|date=11 October 2012|work=CNN|access-date=11 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/camille-crittenden/science-math-programs-matter_b_1944249.html|title=International Day of the Girl: Why Science & Math Programs Matter|last=Crittenden|first=Camille|date=8 October 2012|work=The Huffington Post|access-date=11 October 2016}}</ref>

== History ==
[[File:International Day of the Girl Child for 2014.jpg|alt=Girls at a 2014 International Day of the Girl Child Event.|thumb|Girls at a 2014 International Day of Girls Event]]
The International Day of Girls initiative began as a project of [[Plan (aid organisation)|Plan International]], a non-governmental organization that operates worldwide.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bwh&AN=201609280700CANADANWCANADAPR.C2019&site=ehost-live|title=Challenge Accepted! Canadian leaders to give up their seats to acknowledge that 'Girls Belong Here' on International Day of the Girl|date=28 September 2016|work=Canada Newswire|url-access=subscription |access-date=11 October 2016|via=EBSCOhost}}</ref> The idea for an international day of observance and celebration grew out of Plan International's [[Because I Am a Girl (campaign)|Because I Am a Girl]] campaign, which raises awareness of the importance of nurturing girls globally and in developing countries in particular. Plan International representatives in [[Canada]] approached the Canadian federal government to seek to the coalition of supporters [[raised awareness]] of the initiative internationally. Eventually, Plan International urged the [[United Nations]] to become involved.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/katy-ma-/international-day-of-the-girl_b_4080548.html|title=What Is the International Day of the Girl Child?|last=Ma|first=Katy|date=10 October 2013|work=The Huffington Post|access-date=11 October 2016}}</ref>

International Day of Girls was formally proposed as a resolution by Canada in the United Nations General Assembly. [[Rona Ambrose]], Canada's Minister for the Status of Women, sponsored the resolution; a delegation of women and girls made presentations in support of the initiative at the 55th [[United Nations Commission on the Status of Women]]. On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly voted to pass a resolution adopting October 11, 2012 as the inaugural International Day of Girls.<ref name="ambrose1">{{cite news|last=Ambrose, Rona and Rosemary McCarney|title=International Day of the Girl Child: girls' rights are human rights|url=http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2011/12/29/international-day-of-the-girl-child-a-canadian-accomplishment/|access-date=September 26, 2012|newspaper=Edmonton Journal|date=December 29, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120719031013/http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2011/12/29/international-day-of-the-girl-child-a-canadian-accomplishment/|archive-date=July 19, 2012}}</ref> The resolution states that the Day of Girls recognizes:<ref>{{cite web|title=Resolution Adopted by the General Assembly: 66/170 International Day of the Girl Child|url=https://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/66/170|publisher=United Nations|access-date=September 26, 2012}}</ref> {{blockquote|[the] empowerment of and investment in girls, which are critical for economic growth, the achievement of all [[Millennium Development Goal]]s, including the [[poverty reduction|eradication of poverty]] and [[extreme poverty]], as well as the meaningful participation of girls in decisions that affect them, are key in breaking the cycle of discrimination and violence and in promoting and protecting the full and effective enjoyment of their human rights, and recognizing also that empowering girls requires their active participation in [[decision-making]] processes and the active support and engagement of their parents, legal guardians, families and care providers, as well as boys and men and the wider community [...]|sign=|source=}}

Each year's Day of Girls has a theme; the first was "ending child marriage",<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/adolescence/idgc/en/ |title=WHO &#124; Ending child marriage |publisher=Who.int |date=2012-10-11 |access-date=2014-08-21}}</ref> the second, in 2013, was "innovating for girls' education",<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140423004945/http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/news_events/events/2013/girl-child-20131011/en/ International Day of the Girl Child], ''WHO''</ref> the third, in 2014, was "Empowering Adolescent Girls: Ending the Cycle of Violence", <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unicef.org/gender/gender_66021.html|title=Day of the Girl Child - Gender equality - UNICEF|date=17 October 2014|website=UNICEF|access-date=2 December 2014}}</ref> and the fourth, in 2015, was "[[Girl Power|The Power]] of Adolescent Girl: Vision for 2030". The 2016 theme was "Girls' Progress = Goals' Progress: What Counts for Girls",<ref name=":0" /> the 2017 theme was "EmPOWER Girls: Before, during and after [[crisis|crises]]", and the theme for 2018 was "With Her: A Skilled Girl Force".

By 2013, worldwide, there were around 2,043 events for Day of Girls.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/53110/6-reasons-today-international-day-girl|title=6 Reasons Today is International Day of the Girl|last=Higgins|first=Chris|date=11 October 2013|work=Mental Floss|access-date=11 October 2016}}</ref>

==Events worldwide==

Various events to promote the Day of Girls are planned in several countries. Some are sponsored by the United Nations, such as a concert in Mumbai, India.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bhandary|first=Shreya|title='Because I am a Girl Rock Concert' to celebrate first ever 'International Day of the Girl Child'|url=http://m.timesofindia.com/city/mumbai/Because-I-am-a-Girl-Rock-Concert-to-celebrate-first-ever-International-Day-of-the-Girl-bbbbnxjsjsjaChild/articleshow/16548066.cms|access-date=September 26, 2012|newspaper=Times of India|date=September 25, 2012}}</ref> Non-governmental organizations, such as [[Girl Guides Australia]], also support events and activities for International Day of Girls.<ref>{{cite web|title=International Day of the Girl Child|url=http://www.girlguides.org.au/news-events/news-coverage/international-day-of-the-girl-child.html|publisher=Girl Guides Australia|access-date=September 26, 2012|archive-date=June 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611201252/http://www.girlguides.org.au/news-events/news-coverage/international-day-of-the-girl-child.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Local organizations have developed their own events, such as Girls and Football South Africa, who, in 2012, distributed T-shirts on International Day of Girls to commemorate the 1956 [[Black Sash]] march by 20,000 women.<ref>{{cite web|title=South Africa: Women, Football and Song|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201209140667.html|publisher=All Africa (orig. in Daily Maverick)|access-date=September 26, 2012|date=September 14, 2012}}</ref> An all-day event was held on London's [[South Bank]] in 2013, which included theatre and film performances produced by [[Body Gossip]], an organisation that campaigns on body image and mental health issues.<ref name="Guardian blog 11 October 2013">{{cite web |url= https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/womens-blog/2013/oct/11/body-gossip-models-young-people-image|title= Body Gossip puts spotlight on models and body image |last= Martinson | first= Jane| date= 11 October 2013|work= [[The Guardian]]| access-date= 12 May 2016 }}</ref> For the first Day of Girls, a virtual event was developed by Sage Girl and iTwixie to bring thousands of individuals and organizations together online.<ref>{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BynVBQAAQBAJ&q=%22international%20day%20of%20the%20girl%22&pg=PA17|title=Women, Work, and the Web: How the Web Creates Entrepreneurial Opportunities|last=Bent|first=Emily|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|year=2015|isbn=9781442244276|editor-last=Smallwood|editor-first=Carol|pages=17|chapter=Girls' Human Rights and Virtual Empowerment}}</ref>

In 2016, London held a Women of the World (WOW) festival where 250 London school-aged girls were paired with women mentors.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/international-day-of-the-girl-406676-406676|title=Women of the World Celebrate the UN International Day of the Girl|last=Proudfoot|first=Jenny|date=11 October 2016|work=Marie Claire|access-date=11 October 2016}}</ref> Also in 2016, the President of the [[United States]], [[Barack Obama]], issued a proclamation supporting an end to gender disparity.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/10/08/presidential-proclamation-international-day-girl-2016|title=Presidential Proclamation -- International Day of the Girl, 2016|date=7 October 2016|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|access-date=11 October 2016}}</ref>

[[Social media]] uses the [[hashtag]] #dayofthegirl to track events and news about the day.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CXdTDAAAQBAJ&q=%22international%20day%20of%20the%20girl%22&pg=PT78|title=Jailbreaking the Goddess: A Radical Revisioning of Feminist Spirituality|last=Allen|first=Lasara Firefox|publisher=Llewellyn Publications|year=2016|isbn=9780738748900}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Child marriage]]
*[[Girl]]
*[[Gender equality]]
*[[Hinamatsuri]]
*[[International Day of Women and Girls in Science]]
*[[International Women's Day]]
*[[International development]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

== Bibliography ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite web|last1=UN|author-link=United Nations|title=International Day of the Girl Child October 11|url=https://www.un.org/en/events/girlchild/|date=2015|access-date=25 August 2016|publisher = Department of Public Information, UN}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
*[https://www.care.org/news-and-stories/news/international-day-of-the-girl-2020/ Care International] Day of Girls 2020 information
*[https://plan-international.org/international-day-of-the-girl Plan International] Day of Girls information
*[https://www.plan.org.au/idg Day of Girls] Day of Girls Australia website

[[Category:Feminist events]]
[[Category:Gender equality]]
[[Category:International development]]
[[Category:Millennium Development Goals]]
[[Category:October observances]]
[[Category:United Nations days]]
[[Category:Women and education]]