“The Greater the number of opportunities we have, the less likely we are to complain” Hannah Ntube

_{“A girl’s life should begin the way every life should: as an open book in which she writes her own story,” UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem has said. “Yet from the moment a girl takes her first breath, she is already at a disadvantage simply because she was born a girl.”}

_{On every 11th of October, the world recognizes and acknowledges the international day of a girl child. This year theme “Invest in Girls’ Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well-being”. This theme highlights the challenges, barriers girls and women faced in the sector of leadership and human rights.}

_{Historical Background.}

_{The Beijing Declaration created a blueprint for women and girls. The year 1995, countries at the world conference made the most progressive blueprint by adopting the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, for advancing rights of females. On the 19th of December 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a Resolution 66/170 to declare ‘October 11’ as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognize their rights and the challenges they face.}

_Challenges.

_{1. Education. According to UNICEF, nearly 1 in 5 girls are still not able to complete lower-secondary education, 4 in 10 girls are not completing upper-secondary education. In addition, Wem’afrika carried out a project to support children who are hawking to contribute to the living standards of their families. We discovered 18 children are not aware of their rights and 2 children are aware of their rights. In low-income countries, almost 90 per cent of adolescent girls and young women do not know how to use the internet, while their male peers are twice as likely to be online.}

_{2. Child Labour. Many girls work in the agricultural, the manufacturing sector or home-based small workshops, exposing them to some of the most dangerous working conditions. One of the major sectors for young girls’ employment is the domestic work sector, where girls remain relatively hidden and are time and again reported to be treated poorly and abused physically, mentally, and sexually. Moreover, as this work takes place within the confines of a private home, the dangers and risks that girls are succumbed to, very often goes unseen and unreported. Globally, girls aged 5-14 spend 160 million more hours every day on unpaid care and domestic work than boys of the same age.} 

_{3. Sexual Violence. Sexual violence results in severe physical, psychological, and social harm. Every year, millions of girls and boys around the world face sexual abuse and exploitation. Sexual violence occurs everywhere in every country and across all segments of society. A child may be subjected to sexual abuse or exploitation at home, at school or in their community. The widespread use of digital technologies can also put children at risk. Most often, abuse occurs at the hands of someone a child knows and trusts. At least 120 million girls under the age of 20 about 1 in 10 have been forced to engage in sex or perform other sexual acts, although the actual figure is likely much higher. Roughly 90 percent of adolescent girls who report forced sex say that their first perpetrator was someone they knew, usually a boyfriend or a husband. But many victims of sexual violence, including millions of boys, never tell anyone. Nearly 1 in 4 adolescent girls married at the age of 15-19 have experienced sexual or physical violence by their partners at least once in their life.}

_{4. Health. Three in four adolescent girls continue to account for new HIV infections. Menstruation is a natural fact of life and a monthly occurrence for the 1.8 billion girls and non-binary persons of reproductive age. Yet, millions of menstruators across the world are denied the right to manage their monthly menstrual cycle in a dignified and safe manner. While menstruation is a normal and healthy part of life for most girls, the experience can be constrained by cultural taboos and discriminatory social norms. The challenges girls and other menstruators face are more than a lack of basic supplies or infrastructure. However, safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) are fundamental to females. In many places globally, practicing personal hygiene may be limited due to a lack of access to necessities such as clean water and soap.}

_{Every dollar invested in sexual and reproductive health and rights for adolescent girls can yield economic returns of up to $120, leading to improved health outcomes and increased economic opportunities. A Lancet paper highlighted that targeted health and well-being interventions for adolescents can yield up to a tenfold return.}

_{It is estimated that more than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation in the countries where the practice is concentrated. In addition, every year an estimated 3 million girls are at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation, the majority of whom are cut before they turn 15 years old.}

_{Recommendation}

_{1. Education is the only tool to tackle poverty and bring dignity and equality to the girls in the world. Without accessing quality education, children, especially girls are likely to be forced into the labor market at an early age, or they are likely to get married before the legal age. Research shows that educating girls is the most effective way to solving many socio-economic problems. Educated girls and women are likely to have better income as adults, marry later, have better knowledge of their rights and can lead a life of dignity along with preventing their children to get into child labor. Tackling child labor among girls and promoting their right to education, is therefore an important element of Global March Against Child Labor’s work to promote and protect the rights of all vulnerable children.}

_{2. Increased funding for girl and youth-led activist initiatives and groups. Governments to support girls and young women to engage meaningfully in all areas of public life. This should include regular access to decision-makers and creating mechanisms for girls to engage in civil society, and formally within institutions.}

_{3. All power holders to play their part in tackling age and gender discrimination, and the threat of violence, and to create safe, open spaces, to remove the barriers to girls speaking out. Promote gender equality, human rights, and democratic governance to build girls’ understanding of activism, and skills training in areas such as organizing and public speaking, to build confidence in girls’ ability to campaign and have influence on the topics they care about. They are more likely to become confident and effective leaders. (https://plan-international.org/girls-get-equal/international-day-of-the-girl/)}

_Conclusion,

_{Girls play a vital role in the society. They contribute to peace in their various communities still yet the most marginalized in decision-making process, limited accessibility to necessities like clean water, food, sanitary towels. Wem’afrika is concern for these girls, and we need your partnerships, funding to support, eradicate the suffering of these girls  so by 2030 in relation with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) by 2030  will be in a better place.}

We will appreciate your contributions. 

Contact us through wemafrika1@gmail.com

Whatapp: 0034602095480 

_{By Pauline, Y. Ngongang and Hannah Ntube} 

_References 

1. _{Global March – Against Child Labour. (n.d.). https://globalmarch.org/girls-in-child-labour-need-your-help-on-international-womens-day/)}
2. Sexual violence against children. UNICEF. (n.d.). https://www.unicef.org/protection/sexual-violence-against-children. 
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, October 7). Elevating the health of girls, worldwide. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/healthequity/features/girls/index.html. 
4. International Day of the girl 2023. UNICEF. (n.d.-a). https://www.unicef.org/gender-equality/international-day-girl-2023 
5. Child labour & trafficking – global march. (n.d.). https://globalmarch.org/about-us/our-focus-areas/child-labour-slavery/ 
6. International Day of the girl. Plan International. (2023, October 4). https://plan-international.org/girls-get-equal/international-day-of-the-girl/.