UN on International Day of
the Girl: Girls, dream big
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| Palestian refugees heading to an UNRWA funded school in Jordan.- ANSA |
Thursday 11th of October marks International Day of the
Girl, aiming to help girls exercise their rights and realise their aspirations
through education, equality and global understanding.
By Francesca Merlo
Girls’ education is in the middle of two of the most
important challenges of our time: education and gender equality, and though
today marks “the” day, Save the Children emphasise the importance of
celebrating girls “on this day and every other”.
The right to a life free of violence
Approximately one quarter of young people are currently
neither employed, in education or in training. The vast majority of these are
girls. In a world in which work is incessantly changing, through innovation and
automation, where will the 600 million adolescent girls due to enter the
workforce in the next decade, end up?
This day pushes people to gain awareness that there is no
reason for young girls to not receive the same educational opportunities as
young men. Discrimination against girls has a critical impact on their ability
to learn, survive and live a life free of violence and is, often, devastating.
The United Nations state that over 90% of girls who are
living in developing countries will end up working in the informal sector. The
sector which according to the United Nations, is commonly surrounded by low or
no pay, abuse and exploitation: the sector which commonly violates basic human
rights.
Help to represent where underrepresented
The Director-general of the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Ms Audrey Azoulay, points out that “the
integration of girls in the changing world of work includes, in particular,
improved access to science and technology careers, where they are too often
underrepresented.”
The theme for this year’s International Day for the Girl is
“With Her: A Skilled GirlForce”. It aims to bring together “partners and
stakeholders to advocate for, and draw attention and investments to, the most
pressing needs and opportunities for girls to attain skills for employability.”
Child bride or working adult?
The United Nations, Save the Children and other
organisations are calling on the global community to help young girls
transition successfully into the world of work by working alongside all girls,
worldwide, to help them understand that there are ways of expanding existing
learning opportunities.
The 134 million girls who will be forced to marry as
children within the next decade could also become teachers, journalists and
entrepreneurs. They could contribute to their nation’s economy and yield
tremendous results in the future of our world.
Equal terms
The UN’s Secretary General António Guterres, asks that
today, we “recommit to supporting every girl to develop her skills, enter the
workforce on equal terms and reach her full potential.”
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