News
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
UN decision to mark Oct 11 as ‘World Girl Child Day’ hailedISLAMABAD: Global children’s organisation Plan expressed delight at the United Nations’ decision to recognise October 11 as the ‘International Day of the Girl Child’.
In order to highlight the unique challenges and issues facing girls in many developing countries, Plan has led the call for this world day as part of its ‘Because I Am A Girl’ campaign. “By designating October 11 as ‘Day of the Girl’ we are all agreeing to put a special focus on the needs of girls throughout the world. We know that in many countries girls get left behind in all areas of life from school to work and in the worst cases aren’t even allowed to be born”, said Nigel Chapman, CEO of Plan International.
Chapman, on behalf of Plan International, applauded the proceedings and involvement of Canadian government which sponsored the proposal at the UN after Plan brought a delegation of girls and young women to the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York, earlier this year. Millions of girls and young women globally have been calling for such a day of recognition for some time.
Plan Pakistan Country Director Rashid Javed commented, ‘Though Pakistan is moving forward in legislation areas such as very recently the National Assembly and Senate passed bills banning forced marriages, exploitation of girls and women in scoring enmities, and marriage with the holy book, however, much more still needs to be done. I hope the celebration of International Day of Girl shall focus on critical issues facing the girls of Pakistan. I call upon the government to increase the investment and budgets for girls’ education. d
Lil Shira, a young woman from Cameroon, said at the CSW: “Girls are being neglected, marginalised, and discriminated in families and society. Most of the girls are ignorant about their rights. The ‘Day of the Girl’ will make girls feel respected, recognised and their contributions valued in society.”
2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee has been a long-standing supporter of Plan’s Day of the Girl campaign. According to Gbowee: “I think the international day of the girl child would be a great day for the issues of the girl child to be brought to light for media institutions, for government institutions, and for educational institutions to take the time to think: Girls are the future of the world and we definitely need a day dedicated to their issues.”
Research has shown that investing in girls and young women has a disproportionately beneficial effect in alleviating poverty - not only for girls but also for their families, communities and entire countries. Girls who spend an extra year at school will on average increase their lifetime income by 10 to 20%.
Research has shown that simply being born a girl can leave a child at a huge disadvantage in life. In the poorest societies a girl faces greater risk of malnutrition, hunger and disease compared to her brothers. She will have fewer opportunities for education and career. In many developing countries, 1 out of 7 girls marries before age 15. pr
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk