Stephanie Linus Daily

Tag: United Nations

  • Key Facts About Female Genital Mutilation You Should Know

    • Globally, it is estimated that at least 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone some form of FGM.
    • Girls 14 and younger represent 44 million of those who have been cut, with the highest prevalence of FGM among this age in Gambia at 56 per cent, Mauritania 54 per cent and Indonesia where around half of girls aged 11 and younger have undergone the practice.
    • Countries with the highest prevalence among girls and women aged 15 to 49 are Somalia 98 per cent, Guinea 97 per cent and Djibouti 93 per cent.
    • FGM is mostly carried out on young girls sometime between infancy and age 15.
    • FGM cause severe bleeding and health issues including cysts, infections, infertility as well as complications in childbirth increased risk of newborn deaths.
    • FGM is a violation of the human rights of girls and women.
    • The Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 calls for an end to FGM by 2030 under Goal 5 on Gender Equality, Target 5.3 Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.
    • The elimination of FGM has been called for by numerous inter-governmental organizations, including the African Union, the European Union and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as well as in three resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly.

    Source: UN

  • #GirlsTakeover! Let Girls Be Girls

    Hi there! Let’s stop for a minute to talk about the girl child once again.

    Today marks the International Day of the Girl Child, a United Nations led initiative supporting the more than 1.1 billion girls worldwide who are a powerful force for shaping a sustainable world.

    It’s another important day for us to remember the human rights of every girl child. A girl is a powerful agent of change for a better and equal world, but her potential is constantly undermined by violence and discrimination. I’m very glad that theme for his year addresses that.

    “Girls’ Progress = Goals’ Progress: A Global Girl Data Movement”, calling for action on increasing the availability and analysis of girl-focused and sex-disaggregated data.

    All adolescent girls have the right to a safe, educated and healthy life. Indeed, if they’re effectively supported during these critical formative years, girls have the potential to change the world.

    When adolescent girls are empowered, it benefits all. Empowered girls grow into empowered women who can care better for themselves and their families, increase their earning potential, serve as active and equal citizens and change agents, and spur economic growth for communities and nations. Girls worldwide are stepping into the shoes of presidents, business leaders, stars and more. This is very encouraging, but we need to do more to demand a fair world where girls and boys have equal opportunities.

    October 11 is not just a day; it’s a movement. A worldwide revolution.

    So on this International Day of the Girl Child, I stand with the global community to support girls’ progress everywhere. Let girls be girls.

  • International Day Of The Girl Child: The Essence of a Girl Child

    Today October 11th is the International Day Of The Girl Child. Since 2012, the United Nations marks 11 October as the ‘International Day of the Girl Child’. The day promotes girls’ human rights, highlights gender inequalities that remain between girls and boys and addresses the various forms of discrimination and abuse suffered by girls around the world.

    As we mark this day across the world, I’d like us to take some time to reflect on the true essence of a girl child.

    A girl child is not a weaker sex, neither is she a commodity to be traded

    She is neither subject to a man, nor a second fiddle to the male gender

    She is a being that must be respected and a royalty that must be adored

    She is a jewel that must be treasured, and a bride that must be groomed

    She is a genius that must be nurtured and a global bird that must be freed from the cultural cage and given the wings to fly

    She is a girl child and her peace lies in the peace of the world.

    Let’s also take this day to reflect on the missing Chibok girls. I still believe in my heart that these girls would be found and returned to their families. We must not relent in our prayers for them.

    Happy International Day of the Girl Child.

     

    Photo Credit: UNICEF