Skip to main content

Our time is now—our rights, our future: International Day of the Girl Child



Today marks the 10th anniversary of the international of the girl child with the theme:

"Our time is now—our rights, our future."

Every girl has a right to live, to choose her career, to education, hygiene and healthcare.

According to the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, "Now more than ever, we must renew our commitment to work together so that girls enjoy and exercise their rights and can play a full and equal part in their communities and societies. Investing in girls is investing in our common future."

This year we have celebrated girls, young women in Africa and Nigeria who became global champions because they were free to exercise their positive rights.

As we celebrate today, we would like you to ponder on these data and think of how you can support a girl child. These data are from the United Nations (UN).

Did you know?
👩‍🦰Up to 10 million girls will be at risk of child marriage. The profound effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are putting girls at higher risk of early marriage due to a combination of economic shocks, school closures and interruptions in reproductive health services.
👩‍🦰Almost half of primary schools in LDCs lack single-sex toilets – an important factor in girls’ attendance – and more than two thirds are without electricity.
👩‍🦰Girls are primarily victims of sexual exploitation (72% of detected girl victims), while boys are mainly subjected to forced labour (66% of detected boy victims).
👩‍🦰The global internet user gender gap is growing, from 11 per cent in 2013 to 17 per cent in 2019, and widest in the world’s least developed countries at 43 per cent.
👩‍🦰Globally, the percentage of females among Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) graduates is below 15 per cent in over two-thirds of countries.

What actions would you take to support girls?

#internationaldayofthegirlchild #girlsrights #shadein #mcc

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Draft Communiqué Issued at the End of the 2nd National Conference by CSO Accountability and Transparency Initiative (CATI) held on 8th-9th November, 2023 as presented by Omotunde Clement

Reported by Bliss Ojeruse, Executive Director, Saving Hand Development Initiative (SHADE-IN) Introduction The communiqué was drafted by a 3-persons committee including Newton Otsemaye, British Council State Coordinator, Edo State, Temple and Omotunde Clement. Saving Hand Development Initiative (SHADE-IN) was represented at the Conference by Bliss Ojeruse, Executive Director, who participated virtually. Background   Against the backdrop of the resolution reached at the inaugural national conference held in September 2022, the steering committee on civil society regulatory environment was saddled with the task of working closely with development partners to institutionalise the national civil society conference as an annual event to sustain and track progress made in improving the civic society operational environment in Nigeria.  To drive this initiative that would facilitate continuous engagement within the regulators and civic actors, beyond donors' intervention, the CSO Acco...

TO A FRUIT OF OUR LABOUR: RASHEED O. SANNI

Let us celebrate one of the fruits of our ministry in SHADE-IN, Rasheed Obaro Sanni. February 5, 2019 was his birthday. Rasheed (Right) being taught by one of our volunteers, Gloria Iboroama (L), 2010 He was in JSS 2 when we started work in Aba-Ebira, Ekiti State, being one of the pioneer beneficiaries of our extra mural classes. Today, he is a Civil Engineering 200 level student of University of Benin (UNIBEN), Edo State. Rasheed in school (UNIBEN) I enjoin all of us to pray specially for him on this his birthday, as well as reach out to him. Our most sincere prayer for him is that Christ be formed in him. This is the secret of greatness in life, because Christ in us is the hope of glory. My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, Galatians 4:19 KJV To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Colossians 1:27 KJV K...

Educators' Role Towards Learning For Lasting Peace - Advocate for Reviewed Education Budget Allocation.

This year's international day of education focuses on Learning for Lasting Peace with hashtag #LeadingSDG4, by emphasising the crucial role education and teachers play in countering hate speech. According to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), "Education is a human right, a public good and a public responsibility." If it is a public responsibility, then it's definitely the Government's responsibility as well. UNESCO also cited that "without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all, countries will not succeed in achieving gender equality and breaking the cycle of poverty that is leaving millions of children, youth and adults behind. Furthermore, UNESCO stated that, "Today, 250 million children and youth are out of school, and 763 million adults are illiterate. Their right to education is being violated and it is unacceptable. It's time to transform education." For ove...