Happy International Day of the Girl via Facebook from Indonesia …. Thank you Theresia Nia.

Happy International Day of the Girl via e-mail from Madagascar … Thank you Ernestine.  Ernestine send a short reflection on the situation of girls in Madagascar in French.  We have it in English too!  Click here   French   and  English

More great pictures and greetings from Filipini Lucia

The International Day of the Girl was celebrated at the United Nations on Friday October 9 when ‘Girls Took Over The UN’ advocating for girls’ rights and claiming girl power!  Tribute must be paid to the Ambassadors of Canada, Peru and Turkey for their advocacy with other member states on behalf of girls.  Lakshmi Puri represented UN Women with representatives from UNICEF and other UN entities.  The President of the General Assembly prepared a video link to address the girls gathered.  See UN Women website on International Day of the Girl Child

Here are some photographs from the Girls Speak Out at the UN: 

Some good quotes from the Girls Speak Out: ‘I will become the doctor my parents wants me to marry’  ‘I think more people are afraid of the power of girls than they are of UN Ambassadors.’  ‘Every girl must have the right to live, love, dream, educate herself and work.’ ‘60% of all sexual assault victims in the US alone are girls under the age of 18 years.’  ‘To achieve gender equality girls must be included in the conversation.’  ‘Every 2 minutes another girls is forced into early marriage.’  ‘Girls rights are human rights, we demand action.’  ‘We stand together to demand girls’ rights in communities around the world.’

Good Shepherd International Foundation had my favourite photograph.

and today they write ‘Girls are the Future’   Read More India, Angola, Kenya   Good Shepherd Asia Pacific on it Facebook page  “Happy International Day of the Girl Child 2015. We agree – girls are the future! Empowering and educating girls and boys is absolutely critical for gender equality and putting an end to violence against women and girls. ‪#‎SeeUs‬ ‪#‎HearUs‬  Good Shepherd Asia Pacific

Do read Because I am a Girl: State of the World’s Girls 2015 report The Unfinished Business of Girls’ Rights  Click Here  The website is in French but I don’t think that the report is translated:  Plan International – French

There is a lovely poem on the back cover by Imtiaz Dharker entitled: