UN Women pushes for gender data as world marks girls’ day
School girls walking in Eldoret town, Uasin Gishu County. 2UN Women boss says education that equips students for the future is critical to building agency, equality, voice and power for the world’s women and girls.
What you need to know:
- The UN Women is pushing for disaggregated age and gender-based data to inform policies that impact the lives of girls.
- The agency is rooting for the up-scaling of investment in the implementation of girls’ rights, which remains inadequate.
- They estimate that based on current rates of progress, women and girls will not achieve full equality with men and boys for another 300 years.
As the world commemorates International Day of the Girl Child, the UN Women is pushing for disaggregated age and gender-based data to inform policies that impact the lives of girls.
The UN Women in addition wants stakeholders to take action to fight poverty, cultural norms and practices, poor infrastructure, violence, and fragility that continue to raise barriers, many of which discriminate against girls and women.
The agency dedicated to gender equality and women’s empowerment is also rooting for the up-scaling of investment in the implementation of girls’ rights, which remains inadequate, contributing to short-term, siloed approaches that ultimately disadvantage adolescents.
Full equality
The organisation argues that based on current rates of progress, they estimate that women and girls will not achieve full equality with men and boys for another 300 years.
The International Day of the Girl Child is a day dedicated to celebrating adolescent girl leaders, in all their diversity.
The day in particular focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.
This year's theme, “Our time is now-our rights, our future”, reflects their tenacity to drive change as transformative feminist leaders - right now.
Feminist movements
UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous, in a statement to mark the commemoration of the day noted that in the past ten years, she has seen girls’ interests and influence rise in global agendas and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Whether in climate, education, mental wellbeing, gender-based violence, or sexual and reproductive health and rights, girls are propelling themselves forward as leaders, advocates and change makers. Their activism in feminist movements and mobilization for gender equality, including generation equality, are a key part of shaping positive, grounded action in their local communities and globally,” said Ms Bahous.
The UN Women boss added while there has been progress, substantial challenges remain a thing that calls for more efforts.
Cultural norms
Ms Bahous opined that education that equips students for the future is critical to breaking this trend, building agency, equality, voice and power for the world’s women and girls.
She regretted that poverty, cultural norms and practices, poor infrastructure, violence, and fragility continue to raise barriers while investment in the implementation of girls’ rights remains inadequate, contributing to short-term, siloed approaches that ultimately disadvantage adolescents.
“We need disaggregated age and gender-based data to inform policies that directly impact the lives of girls. We need sustainable, well targeted resourcing to those most affected, to ensure safe, healthy, educated, and powerful adolescent girls worldwide.
“I envision a world where the agency and leadership of adolescent girls is recognized; they live in full enjoyment of their rights; free of violence and discrimination; as equal leaders and members of societies and communities,” she said.
Unique challenges
Today’s celebrations mark the 10th anniversary of the International Day of the Girl which was put in place in 2012.
The United Nations General Assembly on December 19, 2011 adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.
In these last 10 years, there has been increased attention on issues that matter to girls amongst governments, policymakers and the general public, and more opportunities for girls to have their voices heard on the global stage.
However, despite this, investments in girls’ rights remain limited and girls continue to confront a myriad of challenges to fulfilling their potential; made worse by concurrent crises of climate change, Covid-19 and humanitarian conflict.
Girls around the world continue to face unprecedented challenges to their education, their physical and mental wellness, and the protections needed for a life without violence.
Covid-19 has worsened existing burdens on girls around the world and worn away important gains made over the last decade.
Formative years
According to the UN, adolescent girls have the right to a safe, educated, and healthy life, not only during these critical formative years, but also as they mature into women.
If effectively supported during the adolescent years, the UN holds that girls have the potential to change the world – both as the empowered girls of today and as tomorrow’s workers, entrepreneurs, mentors, household heads, political leaders and mothers.
In this year’s celebrations, girls from across the world are demanding politicians recognise their power and open safe inclusive and sustainable pathways to political participation.
Through the Equal Power Now campaign, girls are calling on leaders and power holders to uphold their fundamental rights to participate. They want decision makers to institutionalize the meaningful and safe participation of girls and their groups. They are also rooting for the national and local governments to ensure access to diverse and inclusive pathways toward political participation, including resources and civic education.
The girls are pushing governments and social media companies to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to violence towards the political participation of girl activists.
