11th October is the international girl child day.This year the theme for the International Day of the Girl is “Unscripted & Unstoppable”.
The goal of International Day of the Girl is to support opportunities for girls and increase awareness around gender inequality faced by girls worldwide.
Since 2012, International Day of the Girl Child is being celebrated every year. Its main objective is to empower women and help them to KNOW their rights so that they can face the challenges all over the world. At the same time, this day is about spreading awareness about eliminating gender abnormalities, crimes and biases against girls.
Every girl is inherently full of power and potential but the need of the day is teaching girls life skills, empower them to celebrate what makes them one of a kind, to stand up for themselves and others, and to recognise their ability to make an impact on their communities and the world.
This day was created to focus our attention on the needs of girls around the world. This day is to focus on how much more we need to do to create a more equal and equitable world for the girls of the future while empowering and uplifting them.
Inequality about girl child is a vast problem which includes many areas like inequality in education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care, protection, honour, child marriage and so many.
Tomorrow’s most successful women will have one thing in common, parents and role models who showed their faith in their abilities today. It is important to tell girl children, from a young age, that they are capable of achieving what they want, when they put in requisite effort. This will counter society’s narrative which demotivates the girl child, telling them that they only have one future – that as homemakers.
PAKISTAN ON GIRL CHILD DAY
Pakistani girls participated in a cycling event to mark the International Day of the Girl Child in Karachi, Pakistan, on Oct. 11, 2019.
The sad thing is that hardly 1% of Pakistanis have knowledge about this international observance, despite the fact that half of Pakistan’s population are women.
The issues of gender-based violence, honour killing, early marriages and forced marriages especially Suwara or Vani and girl child abuse have become common in our society.
we need to remind ourselves that thousands of girls child work as maids in our homes and they don’t enjoy basic rights such as education and health rather they work in childhood, such girls need education just as our girl children and care from those who are concerned about their country and society in general.
Every year, thousands of girl child are married. The issue of early marriages is very concerning not the parents only but state communities need to focus on this issue.
Due to social norms that devalue women as individuals in our society, honour violence is rampant against women and girls. Immediate family members who are supposed to protect a girl usually commit honour killing.
We have to make sure in today’s world, a girl should protect herself, and never allow her to think she is less than a guy. Her exposure should be everything you would introduce your son to. Football, cycles, motorcycles, martial arts, cooking. Equip her with all the skills she needs to survive on her own and stand on her own feet, with or without a partner.
We should arrange small sessions regarding this day and the importance of Girls rights, which would shape our young minds in a constructive and positive manner.
Education institutions can play important role in creating awareness regarding the International Day of Girl Child.
This is a fact that girls are doing great, they are breaking boundaries and barriers posed by stereotypes and exclusion. We have seen more girls move from dreaming to achieving. More girls today are attending and completing school, fewer are getting married or becoming mothers while still children, and more are gaining the skills they need to excel in the future world of work.
As entrepreneurs, innovators and initiators of global movements, girls are creating a world that is relevant for them and future generations.
Girls are proving they are unscripted and unstoppable!!!
