Cover image via Convoy of Hope
October 11 marks United Nation's annual
"International Day of the Girl Child" celebration
"International Day of the Girl Child" celebration
The theme for this year is: **Girls' Progress = Goals' Progress: What Counts for Girls** which is centered on a "call for action for increased investment in collecting and analyzing girl-focused, girl-relevant and sex-disaggregated data."
On December 19, 2011, United Nations General Assembly 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.
The **International Day of the Girl Child** focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls' empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.
Image via Bamboo GVN
The world's 1.1 billion girls are part of a large and vibrant generation poised to take on the future.
Investing girls is also investing in a better world.
Investing in their health, education, and safety helps them reach for their dreams and shape their lives.
**But investing girls is also investing in a better world.**
Take education: More education for girls is linked to higher incomes and fewer child deaths. And that is good for everyone.
"**One of the best sources of data are girls and young people; we need to listen when they tell us about what will make a difference in their lives**," said UNICEF in a [press release] (http://www.un.org/en/events/girlchild/).
Image via UN
Image via UN
These young girls have every right to a safe, educated, and healthy life, not only during these critical formative years, but also as they mature into women
These girls have the potential to change the world – both as the empowered girls of today and as tomorrow's workers, mothers, entrepreneurs, mentors, household heads, and political leaders.
Image via Daily Mail
Vice President Leni Robredo feels the same way about the condition of the Filipinas today, mainly because of poverty, who lack the empowerment that they need to pursue their dreams
On Tuesday, during the International Day of the Girl program organized by the *Samahan ng mga Pilipina para sa Reporma at Kaunlaran* ([SPARK] (https://sparkphilippines.org)) to discuss girls' education and women empowerment, Robredo highlighted the importance of women empowerment among youth.
"The celebration of the International Day of the Girl is very important in the sense that if the advocacy starts when women are at the prime already, it might be too late an intervention. **It's very important that we inculcate in our girls already how they should value themselves as girls, to value themselves as women** who will be mothers, who will be valuable members of the society later on," she added.
Image via Down Under
Image via GMA Network
"**When we talk of women empowerment, we have to start with young girls because it is not something that you can teach overnight. It's something that has to grow in each and every one of our girls, who will soon turn into women.**" — VP Leni Robredo
Let's join together, share our voices, and get involved!
[UN Women] (http://www.unwomen.org/en) is the global champion for gender equality.
[UNFPA] (http://www.unfpa.org/): Possibilities for women and young people to lead healthy and productive lives.
[One Billion Rising] (https://www.facebook.com/OneBillionRisingPhilippines/about/?entry_point=page_nav_about_item): activating women and men across the every country. Join V-Day and ONE BILLION RISING today and SAY NO to violence against women and girls!
[Buhay Movement] (https://www.facebook.com/buhayph/): advocate for mental illness and suicide prevention.
[Renew Foundation] (http://www.renew-foundation.org): To eradicate the human trafficking of women and children through advocacy, networking and eduction for the purpose of supporting protecting and empowering victims.
[Women's Rights Movements of the Philippines] (http://womenalliance.org/old/associate/wrmp.html): We pledge ourselves to protect and promote women's rights, irrespective of individual political convictions, affiliations or religious belief.
[SPARK] (https://www.facebook.com/SparkPhilippinesInc/): committed to the development of women and women's organizations as full partners in national development.
Find more women's organizations in the Philippines on this [LIST] (http://www.distel.ca/womlist/countries/philippines.html).
