Girls transforming the world
Find out how these girls from across the globe are speaking up, getting things done and transforming the world!
International Day of the Girl
Celebrating girl activists on International Day of the Girl 2023!
From tackling taboos around periods to stopping child marriage, girl activists are changing their communities – and the world around them – for the better.
Injustice is driving girls to act. Whether it’s the climate crisis, or gender discrimination, they’re refusing to stay silent.
Girls are speaking up. They’re getting things done, and creating lasting change – in their communities, at a national level, and globally.
What girl activists are calling for in 2023
Governments, donors, and civil society can all play their part in supporting girl activists to create a better world. Specifically, girls and young women are calling for:
- Increased funding for girl and youth-led activist initiatives and groups.Governments to support girls and young women to engage meaningfully in all areas of public life. This should include regular access to decision-makers and creating mechanisms for girls to engage in civil society, and formally within institutions.
- Quality education on gender equality, human rights and democratic governance to build girls’ understanding of activism, and skills training in areas such as organising and public speaking, to build confidence in girls’ ability to campaign and have influence on the topics they care about.
- All power holders to play their part in tackling age and gender discrimination, and the threat of violence, and to create safe, open spaces, to remove the barriers to girls speaking out.
State of the World’s Girls: Turning the World Around
This year’s State of the World’s Girls report focuses on the girl and young women activists who are leading the fight for equality.
Insight from over 1000 participants show what it’s like to be a girl or young woman activist leading the fight for equality today.
How are they treated? Do they feel safe? What keeps them going?
Global #GirlsTakeover
The global #GirlsTakeover is a call to action for radical social and political change to tear down barriers of discrimination and prejudice that continue to hold girls back.
From the United States to Thailand, hundreds of girls step into the roles of leaders for a day to demand equal power, freedom and representation for girls and young women.
Through the #GirlsTakeover, girls occupy spaces where they are rarely seen or heard, making it clear they have the right to be there without being silenced or ignored.
Dominican Republic.
History of International Day of the Girl
11 October has been a key global moment to celebrate the power of girls and highlight the barriers they face since the United Nations adopted it as International Day of the Girl in December 2011.
While there has long been an International Women’s Day and an International Day of the Child, neither of these days recognise the unique position of girls who are discriminated against simply for being young and female.
We led the global effort to build a coalition of support behind the International Day of the Girl, securing support from the Canadian government which took our call all the way to the United Nations.
We worked with girls who believed that an international day could be a launch pad for global action on girls’ rights. Through their stories, ideas and views it was clear that an international day for girls would bring global focus to their lack of representation in the global development agenda.
Related pages
