International Day of the Girl Child

On 11 October, the world will celebrate the first International Day of the Girl Child. It’s a day to promote girls’ empowerment and address the challenges that girls worldwide face. Girls everywhere are coming together and taking action for the first International Girls Day. Join and support them!

A girl is a powerful agent of change for a better and equal world, but her potential is constantly undermined by violence and discrimination. At UN Women, we believe in investing in girls, and we are joining other UN agencies to focus on child marriage on the International Day of the Girl Child. 

 Child marriage is a fundamental human rights violation and impacts all aspects of a girl’s life. It denies a girl of her childhood, disrupts her education, limits her opportunities, increases her risk of violence and compromises her health. Globally, more than one in three young women aged 20-24 years were first married before they reached age 18.

Join us to raise awareness about the issue. Check out stories, interviews and what the United Nations is saying about the issue at saynotoviolence.org on 11 October. Watch and share UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet’s message for the day at youtube.com/saynotoviolence.

The world we want for girls is a world free of violence and discrimination against girls.