INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL CHILD 2020
In 2011, the UN General Assembly voted to create a day that would recognise the issues and inequalities faced by girls around the world. Since then, every year on October 11th, the global community gathers to celebrate International Day of the Child – to increase awareness of and address the challenges that disproportionately affect girls globally, particularly in developing countries. Although, these movements have expanded today and are pressed forward by women and girls, true gender equality has yet to be reached.
According to UNICEF, 1 in 3 women have experienced physical or sexual violence, with emerging data showing this has only intensified in the COVID-19 outbreak. Nearly 25% of girls aged 15-19 are neither employed or receiving education and training compared to 1 in 10 boys in the same age group. By 2021, approximately 435 million women and girls will be living on less than $1.90 a day, including the 47 million who have already been plunged into poverty due to the global pandemic.
That is why this year, Secret Sisterhood is partnering with The Hunger Project to celebrate International Day of the Girl Child 2020 and honour over 1.1 billion adolescent girls around the world. In 2020, the theme of IDGC is, “My voice, our equal future”to seize the opportunity to reimagine a future for our world that has been inspired by adolescent girls – one that recognises and empowers them and invests in their progress.
IDGC 2020 will highlight the power and potential of adolescent girls as change-makers and innovators, and will invest into their empowerment and develop as they mature into women. This year will focus on their right to:
- Live free from gender-based violence and harmful practice.
- Learn new skills towards their future.
- Lead as a generation of activists progressing social change
In the month of October, Secret Sisterhood will be making a difference by donating 100% of profits from all jewellery pieces sold, to The Hunger Project to support them in their mission to end world hunger and poverty by 2030. They do this mainly through empowering women and providing them with the support and resources needed to become community leaders and end their own hunger – consequently ending cycles of generational poverty and hunger.
Secret Sisterhood and The Hunger Project believe in the power of working collectively and collaboratively to create sustainable change.
The Hunger Project works to empower girls globally by:
1) Educating girls to make them aware of their rights and empower them to speak up for themselves and others.
2) Training Animators (local volunteer leaders) to work within their communities and educate people on the negative consequences of child marriage for girls.
3) Running school programs to equip girls with negotiation skills so they can have conversations with their parents about child marriage.
There is no better time to get a Secret Sisterhood jewellery piece. Purchase one for a beloved woman in your life this month to join us to celebrate the empowerment of women and girls around the world.
Happy International Day of the Girl Child!
To read more about The Hunger Project, please head to: https://thp.org.au
