10th of October has been a great day for global education and for the rights of children everywhere. Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their struggles for the rights of children, including the right of all children to education. You can watch the full version of Malala’s Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech.
11th of October, the excitement continued on the International Day of the Girl Child. In 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170, officially establishing October 11 as International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC). The purpose of this resolution is to officially recognise the rights of girls and increase awareness of the unique challenges they face around the world.
The 2014 theme of the International Day of the Girl Child is Empowering Adolescent Girls: Ending the Cycle of Violence. Adolescence is a crucial and vulnerable time for girls, and they are particularly threatened in many parts of the world. Their power can be recognized and fostered as they transition into adulthood, or it can be suppressed through perpetuated cycles of violence.
Key messages
- 31 million girls around the world are denied their right to education and school girls are attacked just for trying to go to school.
- Education works. Educated girls are healthier, live longer, earn more, and are more likely to escape poverty and exploitation.
- Education increases opportunities and choices for families – helping eliminate child marriage and other forms of exploitation. No girl should be denied education.
Facts about girls and education
- 31 million girls are out of school.
- Every year a girl stays in school increases her earning potential by 10-20%.
- Almost a quarter of young women aged 15-24 today (116 million) in developing countries have never completed primary school.
- 2.1 million lives of children under 5 were saved between 1990 and 2009 because of improvements in the education of women of reproductive age.
- Evidence shows that investments in education clearly contribute to better health outcomes. A child born to a literate mother is 50% more likely to survive past the age of five than a child born to an illiterate mother. Educated mothers are better informed about specific preventable diseases and illnesses.
What you can do
- Have a look at a brochure VVOB Zambia produced to raise awareness on keeping girls in school.
- Sign and Share the #UpForSchool petition at www.upforschool.org.
- Share a new report by Plan International highlighting The State of the World’s Girls 2014.
Resources and articles
- UN International Day of the Girl Child
- Breaking the Silence on Violence against Indigenous Girls, Adolescents and Young Women, UN Women
- Global Dimension: International Day of the Girl Child resources and video
- Girl Up: International Day of the Girl
