600 million opportunities

We are aware of the particular and important role that girls play in economic and social growth, and so to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child we have a guest blog from Sara Del Cid, our Security and Justice Officer.  Over to you Sara…

The Global Gender Gap Report 2012 indicates that women make up one half of the world’s human capital. UNFPA establishes that there are over 600 million girls in the world today, a large constituency with  an opportunity to shape humanity’s present and future – either positively or negatively, the decision is up to us.

Even though there is the Convention on the Rights of the Child (that spells out the basic human rights that children everywhere have: the right to survival; to develop to the fullest; to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life), the fact is that nowadays girls are less likely than boys to receive care and food, and are often left out of family interactions and activities. Girls usually are discriminated against over access to education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care, and these inequalities have negative repercussions on their freedoms and capabilities.

At the moment the prognosis is poor for girls around the world, it looks like they are the world’s forgotten population, so how to change this situation into a much brighter future? By raising awareness of the importance of empowering, educating and caring for girls’ needs as fundamental elements for countries to succeed and prosper in a competitive world. The key is leveraging girls’ talent and leadership in the global economy, politics and society.

By giving girls the possibility to succeed, we’re contributing to create healthier families, more secure communities and to foster development. Therefore, the community of nations has over 600 million opportunities to keep working on these objectives.