‘My Voice, Our Equal Future’ – International Day of the Girl Child 2020
The world is currently home for more than 1.1 billion girls under the age of 18 possessing the capability of paving the road for future as phenomenal leaders and change-makers. Twenty-five years ago, the most comprehensive policy recognizing the rights of women was adopted at Beijing, China at the Fourth World Conference on Women. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action reimagined a world where girls and woman has no obstacle in exercising her freedoms and choices, and realize her rights, such as to live free from violence, to go to school, to participate in decisions and to earn equal pay for work of equal value.
Unfortunately, quarter of a century later we still in a male-dominated world despite the strides achieved under the agenda thus urging the quicker delivery of commitments made at that time.
As a part of this, in 2011, United Nations General Assembly declared that October 11th of every year would be celebrated as the International Day of the Girl Child focusing on addressing the challenges girls face and to promote empowerment of girls and the fulfilment of their human rights. The day is observed this year under the theme; ‘My Voice, Our Equal Future’.
Statistics shows that existing inequalities and discrimination amongst young girls was further prompted due to the COVID-19 even though they were not hit directly. Lockdown measures highlighted pre-existing gaps and exacerbating deep rooted gender-based discrimination and violence; in example, eroding years of progress girl’s access to education due to digital divide, increase exposure to domestic violence due to being forced to stay at home, higher risks of exploitation of girls by families to earn money in a delicate economic phase possibly consisting of child marriage, for purpose of labor or sexual exploitation along with obstacles to acquire health services especially in cases related to child pregnancy.
Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services published a press earlier today addressing the occasion. They called attention to existing laws pertaining to the matter in Maldives and its role in safeguarding young girls. The Ministry informed that several programs were planned and also is currently underway to mainly to boost self-confidence within young girls at the same time empowering them to become future leaders.