Every year on October 11, International Day of the Girl Child is celebrated across the world to observe and recognize the importance of empowering girls and amplifying their voices. ‘International Day of the Girl Child acknowledges the importance, power, and potential of adolescent girls by encouraging the opening up of more opportunities for them. At the same time, this day is designated to eliminate gender-based challenges that little girls face around the world, including child marriages, poor learning opportunities, violence, and discrimination.’

Each year;

• Around 33,000 girls are married off every day around the world
• An estimated 340,000 girls and young women are infected with the HIV virus every year and currently more than 3 million girls and young women are living with HIV all over the world.
• 96% of human trafficked individuals for sexual exploitation are girls and women
• Girls and women are abused by their spouses everyday and sadly, around 44% of the girls between 15 to 19 years of age think it’s okay for a husband to beat his wife.
• Girls between 5 to 14 spend more than 28 hours doing labor, which is twice the time spent by boys.

This is not right d we must work towards a more just d equal society for all especially girls and women.

We must work towards a society where;

• Girls and women live free from gender-based violence, harmful practices, and HIV and AIDS.
• Girls and women are free to and have the opportunities to learn new skills towards the futures they choose.
• A World where girls and women lead as a generation of activists accelerating social change
• A world where girls and women are empowered at young ages and  can mature into liberated, wise women of the future

Girls worldwide are demanding a life free from gender-based violence, access to health, skills, recognition and investment as leaders of social change. IFM-SEI fights against patriarchy and for equality of all genders therefore we educate for equal rights and awareness of gender stereotypes, discrimination and privileges and we use affirmative action and tools such as the gender quota in our organisations.

We believe in world where all may live at peace, free from discrimination and stereotypes, a world where all have equal opportunities and platforms to live to their full potential.

As today marks the International day of the girl child, we reaffirm our commitment to fighting for equality for the different genders and rise our voices together with them against patriarchy and all forms of systems ad structures that hinders the equality and fair treatment of girls and women.

Let’s create a better world for all. Happy international day of the girl child.