International Day of the Girl 2023
Invest in Girls' Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well-being
Written By Julianne Bullock
Background
After Plan International Canada tirelessly campaigned for two years, gained the support of the Canadian government, and collaborated with girls passionate about making change for themselves and their peers, on December 19th, 2011 the United Nations General Assembly declared that October 11th would be International Day of the Girl, to be celebrated annually. Each year has been given a theme, with the very first in 2012 centering putting an end to child marriage. So what are we planning to achieve this year?
The Outlook for 2023
The theme for this year is ‘Invest in Girls’ Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well-being’. Girls hold immense power and potential. By uplifting girls and eliminating the barriers that they face, we can harness that power to make our world a better place for all of its citizens. The 2023 Day of the Girl conference seeks to “showcase a world where girls actively influence government policies, business practices, and research priorities.” This year, governmental and non-profit organizations, donors, and activists are calling for global authorities to support and advocate for girls’ leadership, develop and implement programs that cover a wide range of concerns such as adolescent maternal health and gender-based violence prevention, increase long-term funding for girl and youth-led initiatives, provide quality education and resources to help girls come into their activism, and remove the obstacles that prevent girls from speaking out and using their voices.
The key areas of focus for Champions of Change UTM align with those that are central to Day of the Girl. These areas include education, sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence, and harmful practices such as child marriage. Addressing these matters is an investment into girls’ leadership and well-being. This is the true essence of this year’s International Day of the Girl.
References
International Day of the Girl 2023. UNICEF.
https://www.unicef.org/gender-equality/international-day-girl-2023#:~:text=The%20Internationa
l%20Day%20of%20the,full%20spectrum%20of%20girls'%20rights.
International Day of the Girl. Plan International.
https://plan-international.org/girls-get-equal/international-day-of-the-girl/
International Day of the Girl Child. United Nations.
https://www.un.org/en/observances/girl-child-day
International Day of the Girl Child 2012. UN Women.
https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/girl-child/2012
