International Day Of The Girl Child 2019: Date, Theme, History And Significance

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Every year on 11 October, International Day of the Girl Child is observed which aims to raise awareness on the needs of girls and challenges they face, promote girls' empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights. The 2019 theme for the International Day of the Girl Child is 'GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable'.

According to The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, each year 12 million girls under 18 are married, 130 million girls worldwide aren't attending school, and around 15 million adolescent girls aged 15-19 have experienced forced sex.

History Of International Day Of The Girl Child

In 1995 around 30,000 women and men from 200 countries attended the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. Their determination to recognize the rights of women and girls as human rights helped in the development of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. It was the most progressive blueprint for empowering the rights of women and girls.

On 19 December 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution 66/170 to mark 11 October as the International Day of the Girl Child. On 11 October 2012, the first International Day of the Girl Child was observed and its theme was 'Ending Child Marriage'.

Significance Of International Day Of The Girl Child

In the following years, women started leading global movements on issues ranging from sexual and reproductive health to equal pay.

Today, several movements are being led by young girls tackling serious issues like child marriage, education inequality, gender-based violence, self-esteem, and girls' right to enter places of worship during menstruation.

Young girls are breaking barriers posed by stereotypes and achieving new heights. They are creating a world for them that will help them in achieving their dreams and aspirations.