Every year on October 11, the global community celebrates the International Day of the Girl. This date was established by the United Nations to draw public attention to the unique challenges, discrimination, and rights violations that girls around the world face every day. The International Day of the Girl is a reminder that every girl, regardless of where she was born, her skin color, or her family's wealth, has the right to a safe childhood, education, and freedom of choice, UNN reports.
The history and purpose of the holiday
The official history of this day began in 2011, when the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring October 11 the International Day of the Girl. It was first observed in 2012. However, the foundations for establishing this date had been developing for decades. Back in 1995, at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, the participating countries unanimously adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action—the most progressive document for protecting the rights of women and girls. The Beijing Platform became the first international agreement to identify girls' rights as a separate area of protection and development.
The main purpose of the holiday is to protect basic rights; ensure access to quality education, healthcare, and adequate nutrition; combat violence, including early marriage, gender-based violence, discrimination, and human trafficking; and expand opportunities by creating conditions for developing leadership skills, participating in decision-making, and building a successful career in any field.
Key challenges facing girls in the modern world
Despite significant progress in the field of human rights, millions of girls around the planet still face problems that limit their potential from childhood:
- According to UNESCO, more than 120 million girls worldwide do not attend school. In many countries, poverty, social prejudice, or a lack of safe infrastructure force parents to prioritize boys' education, leaving girls without basic literacy;
- Every year, millions of girls marry before reaching the age of 18. Early marriage deprives them of their childhood, interrupts their education, and exposes them to a high risk of early pregnancy, which often leads to serious health complications;
- In the world of technology, girls are more often deprived of access to the internet, devices, and STEM education. This limits their opportunities to pursue well-paid careers of the future;
- Bullying at school, domestic violence, cyberbullying, and harassment remain widespread threats to the physical and mental health of underage girls.
How to support girls and promote their development
Creating conditions for girls to realize their potential is not only a matter of social justice but also a direct investment in the economic well-being of society as a whole. According to the World Bank's extensive study "Missed Opportunities: The High Cost of Not Educating Girls," each additional year of secondary education increases a girl's future private earnings by 15–25%, while restricting their access to education costs the global economy up to $30 trillion in lost productivity. In addition, according to UNESCO, women invest up to 90% of their income back into their families—in food, healthcare, and their children's education. This means that quality education for girls is the most effective tool for overcoming poverty and developing the entire community.
How to help girls become confident and successful:
- Toys, professions, or hobbies should not be divided according to gender. Girls should know that any path is open to them—from programming, robotics, and aviation to politics, the arts, and entrepreneurship;
- Creating mentoring programs, science clubs, and IT course initiatives for girls helps overcome the fear of “difficult” technical fields;
- Teaching critical thinking, financial literacy, public speaking, and leadership gives girls the tools to defend their own boundaries;
- The presence of positive role models—successful women leaders, scientists, and athletes—inspires girls to believe in their own abilities and achieve their goals;
- Learning media literacy and online safety rules helps protect girls from cyberbullying, blackmail, and online harassment.
What is celebrated on October 11 in Ukraine and around the world11.10.26, 06:45