International Day of the Girl Child

On 11 October, we will mark the International Day of the Girl Child, by acknowledging the value and contribution being made by some 1.1 billion girls, who form part of the world’s population.

This generation of girls is growing up in a time of unprecedented social, political, economic, and environmental transformation. Never before have we needed such strong leadership and innovation which incorporates the participation of people of all ages and genders.

In order to meet the global challenges being faced by our world, I believe that we must, first and foremost, remove the obstacles that are currently impeding our progress to achieve full gender equity and equality.

Achieving real opportunities for people of all genders is at the heart of the United Nations’ Agenda 2030, and its Sustainable Development Goals. In particular, SDG Number 5 pledges the international community to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment in our lifetimes.

However, at present, there is no country in the world where men and women are truly treated equally. At the current rate of progress, according to indicators from the World Economic Forum, it will take an estimated 170 years to achieve full gender parity. We cannot afford to wait that long.

I am certain that in order to create a sustainable and longterm change, we must actively include the voices and experiences of our young girls. They are essential stakeholders in our journey towards positive change. We must set our girls on a trajectory in which they are given the same opportunities to thrive and to reach their full potential, just like our boys.

Girls must be assured of equitable access to opportunities in all facets of their lives, from education through to employment. It is when we respect the full dignity and wellbeing of women and girls, and the value of their contributions, that we can make a real difference in our communities and our society.

For this reason, we must continue to promote active processes of child participation, which recognise children as social agents in their own right. We must raise our daughters to think of themselves as potential leaders and innovative thinkers, with a worthwhile contribution to make to our society.

There is an urgent need to widen the opportunities open for children, and our young girls in particular, by empowering them to become women who lead. It is for this reason that I am a proud patron for the #Girl2Leader campaign, launched by the Women Political Leaders Global Forum.

The #Girl2Leader campaign seeks to overcome dangerous forms of gender stereotyping, and create an environment which encourages and supports young women to consider the possibility of a career in politics and leadership.

I would like to acknowledge a number of individuals and organisations, both locally and in-

A young girl sits in the shade, while her sister sleeps behind her, at an IDP camp in Baidoa for victims of a drought currently affecting Somalia