Since 2012, October 11 has been marked as International Day of the Girl and aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls’ face. It aims at promoting girls' empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.
The observation supports opportunities for girls and increases awareness of gender inequality faced by girls worldwide. Access to education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care and protection from discrimination, violence against women and forced child marriage are a few areas of inequality faced by girls around the world.
The day also reflects the successful emergence of girls and young women as a distinct cohort in development policy, programming, campaigning and research.
The theme for 2019 International Day of the Girl is GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable.
In 1995, some 30,000 women and men from nearly 200 countries arrived in Beijing, China for the Fourth World Conference on Women. They were determined to recognise the rights of women and girls as human rights. The conference saw the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action: the most comprehensive policy agenda for the empowerment of women.
The years that followed the conference saw women pressing the agenda forward, leading global movement on a variety of issues.
This year, the theme, “GirlForce: Unscripted and unstoppable”, celebrates achievements by, with and for girls since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
Earlier themes include "ending child marriage" in 2012, "innovating for girls' education" in 2013, "Empowering Adolescent Girls: Ending the Cycle of Violence," in 2014, "The Power of Adolescent Girl: Vision for 2030." in 2015, "Girls' Progress = Goals' Progress: What Counts for Girls," in 2016, "EmPOWER Girls: Before, during and after crises," in 2017 and “With Her: A Skilled Girl Force.” in 2018.
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