International Day of the Girl 2015

The International Day of the Girl, which takes place on October 11^th of each year, is a direct response to a relatively urgent issue that is currently being experienced in the world; that is, the neglect and the devaluation of girls in the United States and other regions of the world. Annually, girls of all ages come together in highly dynamic groups around the world in order to discuss, celebrate, and improve the lives and opportunities available to girls all over the place. When these girls come together on October 11^th, they discuss what really matters to them and their lives. It is an opportunity to educate and inform. On the International Day of the Girl, females gather to discuss the gender issues facing them and work to encourage each other and other groups (for example, boys and adults) to take immediate action to transform the current status quo. The International Day of the Girl on October 11^th is more than just a celebration of a specific day; it is a movement that is designed to result in a positive, life-changing worldwide revolution. This movement is about the progress of girls and what needs to continue to be done in order to achieve gender equality. It is about multiple issues, multiple countries, and multiple ethnic groups coming together for one common cause – to optimize the lives of girls everywhere and to encourage the fair treatment of girls in all countries, across the globe. While highly recognized in the United States and other countries, in the year 2011, the United Nations officially designated October 11^th as “International Day of the Girl Child”. The purpose and intent behind this official designation was to help cultivate worldwide enthusiasm to develop goals for girls all around the world so that they could take a leadership role in reaching their maximum potential and help other girls do the same. The International Day of the Girl was designed to recognize the rights that girls possess and the unique challenges that all girls face in their respective regions. It is not at all uncommon to hear of females facing immense levels of discrimination and extreme violence on a daily basis in several regions. The International Day of the Girl is designed to encourage people to focus their attention on the need to address these devastating issues. In doing so, we all come together to successfully promote the empowerment of girls. In addition to this, we work to place a special emphasis on fulfilling the basic human rights of each girl in the world. Originally led in the years of 2011 and 2012 by the United States’ group known as “School Girls Unite”, today, several groups lead the events on this special day of recognition. Gender equality, basic education, and similar human rights issues are examined by many groups and organizations on the International Day of the Girl. On this special day, many of these groups meet with the White House Coalition that specializes on girls and women, The State Department of the United States, and other groups that are similar in nature. This movement is 100% led by youth. The young girls that focus on this special movement work to increase awareness by hosting events and taking other types of action. Inequality and problems are common among girls. To understand the need of such a movement, consider the following facts:

• According to statistics, approximately 64% of the world’s illiterate adults are females.
• Only about 30% of all girls throughout the world are enrolled in a secondary school.
• While nearly half of the high school population is females, only 41% of those females receive the opportunity to participate in athletics.
• Surprisingly, in developing countries around the world, one out of every seven girls becomes married before they reach the age of 15.
• 54% of all female rapes happen to girls before they turn 18 years old.
• One out of every five girls in high school have been either physically abused or sexually abused by a boyfriend or a dating partner.
• It has been confirmed that many girls as young as 11 years old are forced to sell their bodies as prostitutes. In addition to this devastating fact, it has been established that another 1.2 million young girls are being illegally trafficked each and every single year.
• 57% of all of the music videos that are shown throughout the world portray a female as a type of decorative, sexual-based object.
• Over half of all girls in grades 3, 4, and 5 are worried about what they look like to others.
• 37% of all girls in the 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th grade are overly concerned with their weight.
• In movies and television, it has been determined that females are underrepresented. In fact, girls account for just under one out of every three speaking roles in the entertainment industry, worldwide.

The International Day of the Girl brings awareness to all of these issues and more. The groups and organizations that celebrate this day not only expound on the issues that are currently facing the girls in the United States and other areas of the world, but, they often expound on measures that may be taken so that girls no longer have to suffer in the previously mentioned manners. Young girls and teenage girls all have the right to be safe, to be educated, and to have a healthy life as they transition from childhood into adolescents and from adolescents into adults. The girls that are empowered today will become tomorrow’s workers, leaders, innovators, mothers, wives, entrepreneurs, and politicians. By investing in girls across the world, we are recognizing the power and talent of girls. The International Day of The Girl strives to encourage the world to uphold the rights of today so that females have an equal and highly prosperous future. By celebrating our girls on October 11^th, on the International Day of the Girl, and aiding in their rights, those same girls will grow to help us address common problems such as climate change, economic challenges, the prevention of diseases, and a wide array of other complications. Girls are our future and they should be celebrated every single day!