International Day of the Girl 2024 :Part 1

On October 11th, the UN International Day of the Girl is celebrated. But what is International Day of the Girl? "International Day of the Girl is a key global moment to celebrate girls everywhere, amplifying their voices, actions, and leadership." Girls’ Vision for the Future | UNICEF. Why should simply being a girl dictate what you get to do in your life? This is the way for so many girls across the world. Girls lose basic rights because of the simple fact that they are girls.

But what are some of the facts? The UNICEF website states that in 2024, the following are some gender equality facts.

The facts

• Today, one in five young women aged between 20 and 24 were married as children.

• Nearly one in four partnered/married adolescent girls have experienced sexual or physical abuse.

• Globally, 75% of new HIV infections among adolescents occur in girls.

• One in three adolescent girls suffers from anemia, which is a form of malnutrition.

• Almost double the number of adolescent girls (one in four) compared to boys are not in any form of education, employment or training.

This year's theme:

The theme for International Day of the Girl in 2024 is "Girls' Vision for the Future." International Day of the Girl Child | United Nations Why this theme? The UN Website states, "This year’s theme conveys the need for urgent action and persistent hope, driven by the power of girls’ voices and vision for the future." International Day of the Girl Child | United Nations

Since Dove started a year ago, I don't think I ever realized that it was possible to care so deeply about a group of kids. When you hear girls say they are not skinny enough, pretty enough, or maybe they are too skinny, no one person is satisfied with everything about themselves.

Storytime:

One night at dove we did an activity, if the kids related to the statement that I read they took a step forward. If they didn’t, they stayed in place. Given the age group of our youth, I honestly was not sure how it would go. One of my strongest memories from this activity is when we asked them if they had ever felt that they were not enough, whether it be pretty, smart, or skinny enough. Every youth stepped forward for at least one of these. In the end, we went around a circle and talked about how this activity made them feel. The overarching takeaway between 4-14 year olds. They were not alone.

The kids asked me how I felt about it; I sat there for a minute. I started to feel an overwhelming emotion come over me. I began to cry. I just looked at them and said, "I just wish you guys could see yourselves as I see you." The kids were shocked to see me overcome with emotion. One of the youths stated, "Guys, I think Miss Paige needs a hug." Another said, " Miss Paige, can we give you a hug?" (I always emphasize asking before giving someone a hug as someone who isn't really a hugger I always tell them to ask first). I replied, "Of course". This was the result.