By Mabel Pais
2019 Theme — “GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable”
Investing in girls is investing in a better future that is equal for all
Since 2012, 11 October has been marked as the International Day of the Girl (IDG).
International Day Of The Girl(IDG) exists to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girlsface all over the world. … IDGis meant to promote the empowerment of young girlseverywhere, while also advocating for the attainment of their basic human rights, like education and bodily autonomy.
THEME
“GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable”
Twenty-five years ago more than 30,000 women from 200 countries arrived in Beijing for the World Conference on Women determined to recognize the rights of women and girls as human rights. What started as global women’s movements campaigning for sexual and reproductive health rights, political participation and equal pay, to name a few, expanded to movements organized by and for adolescent girls.
Today, girls’ movements are stopping child marriage, promoting girls’ education, standing up against gender-based violence, demanding action on climate change, tackling issues of self-esteem, and standing up for girls’ rights to enter temples or public spaces during menstruation. Girls are also engaging with municipalities to advocate for financial investments in their communities and for truly inclusive development that recognize their needs. Girls are proving they are unscripted and unstoppable.
For this year’s International Day of the Girl (October 11), the UNICEF is working alongside and supporting all girls to amplify their voices and stand up for their rights. Under the theme, “GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable”, International Day of the Girl will celebrate achievements by, with and for girls since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and passage of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Photo / UN Women 2017 – Gustavo Stephan
BACKGROUND:
Marking 25 years of progress for girls
In 1995 at the World Conference on Women in Beijing countries unanimously adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action– the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing the rights of not only women but girls.
Twenty-five years later, the Platform for Action remains a powerful foundation for assessing progress on gender equality. It calls for a world where every girl and woman can realize all her rights, such as to live free from violence, to attend and complete school, to choose when and whom she marries, and to earn equal pay for equal work.
The next two years are pivotal for gender equality as the global community celebrates progress and highlights areas for acceleration to empower girls and women. First, 2019 marks the 25th anniversary of the groundbreaking International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), where governments recognized that reproductive health, women’s empowerment and gender equality are key to sustainable development.
This November, countries will advocate for achieving zero unmet need for family planning, zero preventable maternal deaths, and zero sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices against women and girls.
In 2020, the global community will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration. As a follow-up to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Beijing Declaration is the first to specifically call out girls’ rights. Because girls are discriminated against from the earliest states of life, through their childhood and into adulthood, the Platform of Action has one strategic objective with nine indicators specific to advancing girls’ rights. The Platform of Action nine indicators for girls:
- Eliminate all forms of discrimination against girls
- Eliminate negative cultural attitudes and practices against girls.
- Promote and protect the rights of girls and increase awareness of their
needs and potential.
- Eliminate discrimination against girls in education, skills development and
training.
- Eliminate discrimination against girls in health and nutrition.
- Eliminate the economic exploitation of child labor and protect young girls
at work.
- Eradicate violence against girls.
- Promote girls awareness of and participation in social, economic and
political life.
- Strengthen the role of the family in improving the status of girls
Beyond Beijing+25, 2020 marks five-years since the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 5, which calls for the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, everywhere by 2030. To achieve the SDGs we will need to include the voices and power of girls.
ICPD and the Beijing Declaration unleashed remarkable political will and worldwide visibility for gender equality. Beijing also connected and reinforced the activism of women’s movements on a global scale. Since then, governments, civil society and the public have translated the Platform for Action’s promises into concrete changes in individual countries. These have ushered in enormous improvements in the lives of women and girls.
CAMPAIGN
As part of a year-long effort with and for girls, UNICEF and partners will bring together programming, advocacy, communication, fundraising, and public engagement elevating progress for and with girls. A communications toolkit and key messages are available.
More information will also be available at: https://www.unicef.org/gender-equality/international-day-of-the-girl-2019
Key momentswill include:
International Day of the Girl
- Digital movements and events globally, including Working Group on Girls
Speak Out event at UN New York, Plan International’s Girls Takeover and a
Girl Summit in Geneva.
- Release of UNICEF’s report on 25 years of progress for girls.
Futurizing Beijing and Europe Regional Beijing+25 Consultation 26-30 Oct 2019
The Nairobi Summit on ICPD25: Accelerating the promise 12-14 Nov 2019
World Children’s Day: 30thAnniversary of CRC 20 Nov 2019
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 25 Nov –
16 Days of Activism 10 Dec 2019
International Women’s Day 8 Mar 2020
64rd Commission on the Status of Women:
25thAnniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 9-20 Mar 2020
UN General Assembly 15-30 Sep 2020
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
- Share stories of girls who are “unscripted” and “unstoppable” in their communities, families or schools. Examples could be girls stopping discrimination and child marriage, girls breaking stereotypes, or girls increasing access to secondary education and skill development.
- Interview women aged 35-45 years oldwho were girls when the Beijing Declaration of Action was adopted in 1995 and ask themwhat’s changed for them in the past 25 years.What’s a piece of advice they would give to their younger selves or girls today.
- Profilepeopleinyourorganization–especiallythosewhoworkinprotectionorhumanitarianissuesandaskthemtoretellastoryof“thebravestgirltheyhaveevermet.”Example thiscouldbeastoryofagirlwhowasso
stubborn sheranawaythreetimesfromforcedmarriagesbecauseallshe
wantedtodowasfinishschool.
KEY CONTACTS:
Kim Chriscaden, kchriscaden@unicef.organd Joy Lynn Alegarbes jlalegarbes@unicef.org
Communications and partnership leads
Sagri Singh, sasingh@unicef.organd Luzia Zeruneith, lzeruneith@unicef.org
Adolescent girls empowerment technical leads
(Excerpted from various links of un.org)
(Mabel Paiswrites on Social Issues, Spirituality, the Arts and Entertainment, and Health & Wellness. She can be reached at mabelep1406@gmail.com)
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