Empowering girl children can make society better
For a better global society, empowering the girl children is paramount as they constitute the backbone of any society, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
“Adolescent girls in the Arab States region constitute 8.9 per cent of the population, and they number 40 million girls and one in 5 girls marry before the age of 18,” Dr Luay Shabaneh, Regional Director of the Fund said, adding that “the UNFPA is committed to empower girl children in the region and realise the rights of adolescent girls to enjoy a safe life and access to education and health at all stages.”
Launching the mascot, “Mariam”, the ambassador for the rights of adolescent girls at a virtual press conference, Luay said Mariam is one of the 40 million girls across the world.
“Mariam decided to devote her life and time to demanding the fulfilment of the rights of these 40 million girls and all adolescent girls like her while promoting girls’ empowerment and realising their human rights,” Shabaneh said.
The declaration, which was made in cooperation with the League of Arab States, coincided with the celebrations of the International Day of the Girl Child, and constitutes another occasion to express the firm support of the UNFPA, its steadfast standing and unwavering determination in support of girls’ rights, including the right to obtain accurate information and relevant services Relevance to sexual and reproductive health.
“The initiative launched by the United Nations Population Fund, represented by the character of ‘Mariam’, the fifteen-year-old Arab girl, comes in line with the sustainable development goals and the goals of the plan Joint strategic work with the UNFPA,” Ambassador Dr Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, Assistant Secretary-general — Head of the Social Affairs Sector, said.
“It focuses on achieving the three zeros by 2030 (zero unmet need for contraception; zero preventable maternal deaths; and zero gender-based violence), and reinforces the importance of the role that the media and social media play in achieving its sustainable goals,” she said.