Alongside senior officials from the UN community, they commemorated International Day of the Girl through statements, dialogue and a show of solidarity with their peers in Afghanistan and elsewhere, whose voices have been silenced.
Nafisa from Ghana, 16, championed girls “whose dreams are shattered by the crisis”, like a friend from a neighboring village who had to leave school after the conflict broke out, but joined a study group to continue learning.
“Her story reminds us that girls are strong, girls are determined, girls never give up,” she said in a video message.
A world where girls can lead
International Day takes place every year on October 11 and the event brought this year’s theme to life. We are here: Bold, Diverse and Unstoppable – Demanding Action for Girls’ Rights.
Parents, carers and mentors were encouraged to sit in red chairs at the back of the room while “virtual moderator” Andrea in Bolivia welcomed participants, who were asked to use only their first names as a safeguard.
“Across the world, girls are dreaming big, supporting each other and raising their voices for justice,” she said in Spanish.
“We may live in different places and speak different languages, but we share a dream: a world where every girl can learn, lead and live without fear. »
UN President of the General Assembly Annalena Baerbock advised participants to follow their interests “passionately” and do what they love wholeheartedly.
“My dream for you is that every day you do just that…and no one and nothing will stop you,” she said.
“No man, no religion, no legislation, no system that tries to silence you, no criticism or bullying from others at school, or those moments online. Not even what can often seem like the loudest voice of all: your own self-doubt.”
Caught in crises
The commemoration took place as countries celebrated 30 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration on women’s rights and Global Program of Action for Youth.
Yet despite these global promises, “girls around the world are experiencing the impacts of catastrophic climate change, armed conflict, food insecurity and systemic gender-based violence and discrimination,” said Michael Gort, Canada’s deputy permanent representative to the UN.
He urged governments, civil society and the international community as a whole “to go beyond promises and deliver concrete results,” saying that “our role is to listen, support and act, guided by your experience and expertise.”
Solidarity and commitment
Another moderator, Eleni, called for a minute of silence for all girls “whose voices need to be heard,” including those in war zones, situations of violence, or in rural areas or indigenous communities. They were represented by an empty “solidarity chair” on the podium.
Ms. Baerbock then gathered the room to take a “solidarity selfie” with the girls of Afghanistan, whose rights continue to be subject to restrictions.
For its part, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) “engages in girl-focused programming” in more than 80 countries, focusing on areas such as protection, health, nutrition and economic empowerment, said Lauren Rumble, associate director for gender equality.
Additionally, 10 percent of UNICEF’s approximately $7 billion in annual spending will go to networks for girls and women.
“We know that you are all capable of designing the change you want to see and delivering it, so we need to make sure we put resources and investments directly into your hands so you can do it better and at scale,” she said.
Markella, who represented the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, emphasized the power of solidarity.
“Every girl has the ability to advocate for another girl,” she said.
“Even though she does not have a UN microphone, I urge her to work to create a safe environment for her fellow girls in any space and to make the voices of her peers heard.”
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
