International Day of the Girl Child ( 11 October )

International Day of the Girl Child ( 11 October )

International Day of the Girl Child ( 11 October ) observed across the world 

Third International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC) was observed across the world on 11 October 2014. The theme was Empowering Adolescent Girls: Ending the Cycle of Violence.

The theme of IDGC was selected in recognition of the importance of investing in and empowering girls during adolescence and preventing and eliminating the various forms of violence they experience.

On this day, Governments, the UN system, civil society, and public and private institutions were called on to join forces and reaffirm their commitment to end the scourge of violence against adolescent girls and to promote their empowerment by

• Investing in adolescent girls to equip them with skills, confidence, and life options: through family, schools, technical and vocational education and training, and health, social and economic support systems
• Making infrastructure, services, and technology accessible to girls and effective in meeting their needs for safety, connectivity and mobility
• Facilitating adolescent girls engagement in civic, economic and political life
• Continuing to advocate for making violence against girls and women visible and unacceptable both in private and public domains
• Strengthening data, measurement and the evidence base in relation to the empowerment of and violence against adolescent girls
In India, as a part of IDGC, PM Narendra Modi invited ideas on Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, exhorted the people of India to pledge to create an atmosphere for equality for the girl child and to end gender-based discrimination in India.

About International Day of the Girl Child

The United Nations adopted a resolution in 2011 and designated 11 October as International Day of the Girl Child for promoting the rights of girls and addressing the unique challenges they face.

• IDGC is intended to draw attention to the uncontested fact that everywhere in the world girls face some sort of discrimination.
• The first IDGC was observed in 2012 with the theme Ending Child Marriage and the second IDGC was observed in 2013 with the theme Innovating for Girl’s Education.