The theme for this year’s International day of the Girl Child is ‘My Voice, Our Equal Future” which focuses on girls’ demands to have freedom from violence, improve their skill building and progress their potential to become leaders of their generation (UNICEF, 2020).
International Day of the Girl Child which will be celebrated on 11th October promotes girls’ empowerment and the progress towards young girls’ realisation of their human rights. Since 2012, this date has marked the day that advocates for young girls around the world, and their potential for equality and better lives. There are multiple issues that have been covered on this day over the past 8 years such as education, equality, child marriage, access to sexual health services and gender-based violence.
Young girls, particularly in developing countries are subject to discrimination and face huge barriers due to their age and gender and this is even more true during this pandemic. International Day of the Girl Child aims to bring to light the challenges that girls face and the potential that they have to reshape their futures when given access to basic rights.
UN Women (2020) draws on the importance of girls’ education, finding that providing girls with equal access to education will allow them to support themselves and their families, reduce the risk of health related problems, and limit early marriages. Friends of Buburi’s work, providing girls with access to sanitary products, contributes to keeping young Kenyan girls in school. Access to reusable sanitary products allows girls to maintain school attendance, improve their skills development and impact their future employment prospects. International Day of the Girl Child reinforces the importance of investing in, and acknowledging young girls around the world and the potential that they hold.