The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection through the Department of Children and Department of Gender in collaboration with UN System through UNICEF and UNFPA, Plan Ghana, and other Partners join to wish all girls in Ghana and around the world a Happy International Day of the Girl Child.
On December 19, 2011, United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11th as the International Day of the Girl Child to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.
In view of this, the Beijing Declaration and Platform Action is been looked up to.
The Beijing Declaration and Platform Action is the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing the rights of not only women but also 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 main focus for this year’s International Day of the Girl Child celebration is toprovide better education on Teenage Pregnancy which results in STIs and HIV and AIDS, encourage young girls to get back to school after giving birth, encourage women to venture into the technology field and put a stop to gender based violence and other harmful practices under the theme “My Voice, Our Equal Future”
The celebration is expected to be carried out at the Community, District, Regional and National levels.
Using the child protection community facilitation toolkits to engage adolescents on selected topics nationwide including ending Teenage Pregnancy, whiles bringing attention to the achievement for girls’ rights in line with the Beijing Declaration and platform for action and Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Mentoring girls to venture into the technological field and empowering girls to go back to school after delivery.
It is expected to be girl centred and girl-led as a national girls forum at the GNAT Hall is scheduled for Monday, October 12, 2020.
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection would like to use this opportunity to congratulate all stakeholders who have seen to the protection and promotion of the rights of girls in ensuring that, they grow up to be responsible and better people in the future.
We further urge all stakeholders to continue to strive for a better Ghana for our girls and all children of Ghana.
Our children especially the girls, need the most protection during this COVID-19 era, we must all make an effort by ensuring they adhere to the COVID-19 prevention protocols and ensure that, their rights are protected.
Once again, the Ministry and its partners wish all girls a Happy International Day of the girl child.