International Day of the Girl

International Day of the Girl.  I’d heard something about it, but didn’t know very much. One of our Women in Law Committee members suggested we do a WIL blog post on it.  I thought, okay. 

International Day of the Girl occurred on October 11^th.  Well, October 11^th came and passed and we didn’t post anything on it.  Life got crazy for me and it was one of those things that slipped by me.

It shouldn’t have…especially because Women in Law emphasizes the value of all girls, young and old. I’m trying to make up for my mistake now. I hope you read this and learn more about the International Day of the Girl. Maybe next year each JRLCS chapter, through their WIL representative, can hold some event on October 11^th to celebrate the value of girls…of all ages.

When and how did this special day come about? Here is the answer:

“On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare 11 October as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. For its second observance, this year’s Day will focus on “Innovating for Girls’ Education”.

“While there has been significant progress in improving girls’ access to education over the last two decades, many girls, particularly the most marginalized, continue to be deprived of this basic right. Girls in many countries are still unable to attend school and complete their education due to safety-related, financial, institutional and cultural barriers. Even when girls are in school, perceived low returns from poor quality of education, low aspirations, or household chores and other responsibilities keep them from attending school or from achieving adequate learning outcomes. The transformative potential for girls and societies promised through girls’ education is yet to be realized.” http://www.un.org/en/events/girlchild/

Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani girl who was shot in the head for wanting to go to school, was the face of this year's Day. She has helped spur concrete action to provide compulsory education for young people worldwide.

“One year after Yousafzai was shot in the head by the Taliban for wanting to go to school, she has recovered and dedicated herself to advocacy. She's delivered impassioned speeches, pushed the UN education goals, and already provided grants through the Malala Fund, which partners with local organizations to provide education opportunities, specifically for girls.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/annie-gersh/international-day-of-the-girl_b_4096917.html.

Some additional interesting facts: “Nearly two-thirds of the world's illiterate are women, women have lower completion rates than men for all levels of education, and girls' participation in education decreases at each level. However, studies have shown education to be one of the best ways to help break the cycle of poverty for both individuals and nations." http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865588292/Message-for-Malala-Day-of-the-Girl-focuses-on-girls-education.html.

School girls at Elavanyo District 
Assembly Public School in Ghana.

On its website, the Global Partnership for Education states, "Educating girls has benefits not just for themselves but also for their families, communities and countries. With a quality education, girls can make informed choices, improving their country's social and economic well-being by promoting the health and welfare of the next generation." http://www.globalpartnership.org/our-work/areas-of-focus/girls-education-2/