International Day of the Girl Child – 11 October 2015

2015 Theme: The Power of the Adolescent Girl: Vision for 2030

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  • The United Nations’ International Day of the Child promotes girls’ human rights, highlights gender inequalities that remain between girls and boys and addresses the various forms of discrimination and abuse suffered by girls around the world.
  • Over 60 million girls worldwide are forced into marriage before the age of 18
  • 125 million girls and women worldwide have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C)
  • 1.2 million children are being trafficked each year – many of these children are girls forced into sex trafficking
  • Pregnancy is the leading cause of death worldwide for women aged 15 to 19
  • Literacy rates for girls in many countries remain low  – just 12% of Afghan women aged 15 and over are literate