Today, October 11, 2024, be de day wey de whole world dey celebrate International Day of de Girl Child. Dis day na special day wey de United Nations declare to raise awareness about de challenges wey girls dey face and to promote their empowerment.
De theme for dis year’s celebration be ‘Girls’ Vision for de Future.’ Dis theme dey convey both de need for urgent action and persistent hope, driven by de power of girls’ voices and vision for de future. According to de United Nations, dis theme highlight how girls dey disproportionately affected by global crises like climate change, conflict, poverty, and pushback on hard-won gains for human rights and gender equality.
De history of International Day of de Girl Child start from de 1995 World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, where countries adopt de Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Dis declaration be de first to specifically address de rights of girls. Later, on December 19, 2011, de United Nations General Assembly adopt Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11 as de International Day of de Girl Child.
De significance of dis day be to raise awareness about de rights of women and girls, and to help dem recognise their potential. Many girls still dey denied their rights, restricting their choices and limiting their futures. De day call for listening to girls and investing in proven solutions to accelerate progress towards a future where dem can fulfil their potential.
Girls face many challenges, including discrimination, exclusion, and oppression. De data show say roughly one in every five girls no complete lower secondary school, and nearly four out of every ten girls no complete higher secondary education. In low-income countries, around 90% of adolescent girls and young women no use de Internet.
To address these challenges, de day emphasize de need to provide equitable opportunities for girls, invest in feminist technology, and ensure girls’ digital access and inclusion through technology and innovation. It also call for building more inclusive digital societies to support girls’ empowerment).
