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Dear JOhn, Every October 11th, the world comes together to celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child. This year, there is much to celebrate, including a legal victory against the government of Sierra Leone that led to the country lifting its discriminatory ban on pregnant girls attending school, Pennsylvania and Minnesota banning child marriage, Massachusetts passing a law criminalizing female genital mutilation, and a potential landmark case highlighting Bolivia’s failure to protect adolescent girls from sexual violence being referred to the Inter-American court after almost 20 years. But the work to protect girls’ rights is far from over. The world is facing unprecedented challenges. COVID-19 has swept the world, ushering in lockdowns, school closures, and economic turmoil. As existing support systems crumble, girls have become uniquely vulnerable to these devastating impacts. They are facing increased rights violations, including child marriage, female genital mutilation, and sexual violence. Remote learning and increased time online have left many girls at risk of sexual exploitation. Read my latest blog on how governments need to step up to protect adolescent girls around the world. We remain committed to holding governments accountable throughout this period of turmoil. Throughout the pandemic, as we have done for over 28 years, our staff across the world have been monitoring violations of girls’ rights. We continue our work with our partners to ensure that governments fulfill their commitments to protect and promote the rights of girls and women, including by amending or repealing discriminatory rape laws. We believe every girl deserves equality in the law and access to justice. If you agree, I hope that in honor of Day of the Girl Child you will consider making a donation to Equality Now to support our work advocating for the rights of girls around the world.
In solidarity, Jacqui Hunt |
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