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Day of the Girl Finally Dawns! UN decides to inaugurate Day of the Girl
Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

New York. Following Plan International’s advocacy efforts since 2007, the UN officially designated October 11th as the “International Day for the Girl Child” at its General Assembly, yesterday. The European Parliament (EP) had strongly supported this decision adopting a Resolution last week, after over 400 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) signed a Written Declaration for the Day of the Girl.

In order to highlight the unique challenges and issues facing girls in many developing countries, Plan has led the call for this world day as part of its ‘Because I Am A Girl’ campaign. The 11 October will now be a symbolic date of recognition of the equal rights of girls and boys and a possibility to monitor progress made in the area of girls’ rights in particular.

Plan International CEO Nigel Chapman affirms:“By designating October 11th as Day of the Girl we are all agreeing to put a special focus on the rights of girls throughout the world. We know that in many countries girls get left behind in all areas of life from school to work and many are prevented from fulfilling their true potential by severe discrimination and prejudice”.

Mr Chapman said Plan applauded the Canadian Government which sponsored the proposal at the UN. They became involved after Plan brought a delegation of girls and young women to the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York, earlier this year.

Many girls and young women globally have been calling for such a day of recognition for some time. At the CSW Lil Shira, a young woman from Cameroon, said: “Girls are being neglected, marginalised, and discriminated in families and society. Most of the girls are ignorant about their rights. The ‘Day of the Girl’ will make girls feel respected, recognised and their contributions valued in society.”

2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee has been a long standing supporter of Plan’s Day of the Girl campaign. Gbowee said: “I think the international day of the girl child would be a great day for the issues of the girl child to be brought to light for media institutions, for government institutions, and for educational institutions to take the time to think: Girls are the future of the world and we definitely need a day dedicated to their issues.”

The Plan EU Office, together with partners European Parliamentary Forum (EPF) and World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), had lobbied MEPs to sign a Written Declaration in support of the Day of the Girl. The response from MEPs for the day has been tremendous, with 404 parliamentarians from all 27 EU member states and across all political groups signing the Declaration 39/11. This was seen as a major influence on the decision of the UN General Assembly yesterday.

Research has shown that investing in girls and young women has a disproportionately beneficial effect on alleviating poverty – not only for girls but for their families, communities and entire countries. Girls who spend an extra year at school will on average increase their lifetime income by 10 to 20%. The International Day of the Girl Child on October 11th now stand alongside other major international days, such as World AIDS Day (1 December) and International Women’s Day (8 March), as a moment where advocates for the rights of girls can draw the world’s attention to their vital cause.