By Françoise Girard
Some day, they will say this was the moment when
the world woke up to my potential...this is the moment when being a girl became
my strength, my sanctuary, not my pain.”
These are the words of the Girl Declaration, a powerful statement written by
adolescent girls who are living in poverty around the world.
All too often, these girls have been neglected by
society. Their needs go unmet and their rights are ignored. People take advantage
of their lack of power, their isolation, and their limited access to economic
opportunities and legal protections.
Consider that 14 million girls are married as
children each year before they are physically or emotionally ready. In
sub-Saharan Africa, fewer than one in five girls makes it to secondary school.
Worldwide, nearly 50 percent of all sexual assaults are against girls aged 15
years or younger.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
That’s why today—on the International Day of the
Girl—we celebrate the Girl Declaration. The International Women’s Health
Coalition has made advancing the rights and health of adolescent girls a key
focus area of our work. From Brazil to Nigeria to Pakistan, we are partnering
with local groups to promote girl friendly health services, keep girls in
schools, and eliminate child marriage. We are making sure that girls' voices
are heard by the powerbrokers in Washington, DC and the United Nations who are
setting the global agenda for development.
We know that investing in girls is a smart
economic decision that will solve global challenges. But more importantly, it
is the right thing to do.
Please take a moment to read the Girl Declaration
and listen to what girls have to say. Help us build a better future for girls
and stop the cycle of poverty and abuse before it starts.
I welcome your thoughts and support.
Françoise Girard
President
International Women’s Health Coalition
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