Every year, October 11 is celebrated as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. Background On December 19, 2011, United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child. The International Day of the Girl Child focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights. Girls are breaking boundaries and barriers posed by stereotypes and exclusion, including those directed at children with disabilities and those living in marginalized communities. As entrepreneurs, innovators and initiators of global movements, girls are creating a world that is relevant for them and future generations. Theme for 2025 Shaped through consultations with girls organizations, the 2025 International Day of the Girl theme is ‘The girl I am, the change I lead: Girls on the frontlines of crisis’. This year’s theme calls for recognition of girls’ leadership in the face of multiple crises. All over the world, girls are stepping up to meet today’s biggest challenges. They're organizing in their communities, fighting for climate justice and demanding an end to violence. Girls are asking to be seen not only for the challenges they face, but for who they are and the solutions they bring. Yet, too often their voices go unheard, their actions ignored, their needs and rights pushed aside. As we mark thirty years since the Beijing Declaration – the world’s blueprint for gender equality – International Day of the Girl is a rallying cry to see girls for their limitless potential. Why girls’ rights matter now more than ever Being a girl shouldn’t determine what you can do, where you can go or who you can become. But right now, that's the reality for millions of girls across the world. Too many are being left behind – confronted by extreme challenges that deny girls their rights, restrict their choices and limit their futures. Despite the progress made in adolescent girls’ lives over the past thirty years, their rights are still being violated in places all over the world. Key facts 133 million girls are out of school today. Adolescent girls aged 15-19 are more likely to not be in education, employment or training than their male peers. Almost 4 in 10 adolescent girls and young women do not finish upper secondary school. Nearly 1 in 4 ever-married or partnered adolescent girls aged 15-19 have experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetimes. More than one third of adolescent girls and boys aged 15-19 consider a husband to be justified in hitting his wife under certain circumstances. The percentage of underweight adolescent girls aged 10-19 has only declined slightly in the last three decades, from 10 per cent to 8 per cent. With only five years remaining of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, no country with data has met even half of 16 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets crucial to adolescent girls’ well-being. Key actions Share girls’ stories. Celebrate their achievements and amplify their voices. Advocate for change. Call for policies that protect girls’ rights and enable their leadership. Create girl-led spaces. Wherever you have influence, support safe spaces where girls can connect, learn and get the support they need. Lend your voice. Call for dedicated funding and programmes that meet the unique needs of girls in crisis situations, including health, education, mental well-being and support for adolescent mothers. Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing the rights of not only women but girls. Now, nearly 25 years later, the Platform for Action remains a powerful foundation for assessing progress on gender equality. It calls for a world where every girl and woman can realize all her rights, such as to live free from violence, to attend and complete school, to choose when and whom she marries, and to earn equal pay for equal work. The Platform for Action specifically calls on the global community to: Eliminate all forms of discrimination against girls. Eliminate negative cultural attitudes and practices against girls. Promote and protect the rights of girls and increase awareness of their needs and potential. Eliminate discrimination against girls in education, skills development and training. Eliminate discrimination against girls in health and nutrition. Eliminate the economic exploitation of child labour and protect young girls at work. Eradicate violence against girls. Promote girls’ awareness of and participation in social, economic and political life. Strengthen the role of the family in improving the status of girls. Source : UNICEF Related resources UN Women UN