Today we celebrate The International Day of The Girl. Did you know that there are 1.1 billion girls today that could be our future leaders and activists of tomorrow? For some, their dreams and potential are often stifled by discrimination, violence and lack of equal opportunities. The theme for this year’s International Day of the Girl Child “– Girls’ Progress = Goals’ Progress: A Global Girl Data Movement” — a call for action to raise the bar in collecting and analyzing girl-focused, girl-relevant and sex-disaggregated data. This data is vital to truly understand and address the needs and challenges that girls face today.
One such issue that is standing in the way of girls’ progress is child marriage. According to UN Women, one year into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, improving data on girls and addressing the issues that are holding them back is critical for fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals. To learn more about Internationanl Day of the Girl Child and the issues girls face today visit: www.unwomen.org