The Working Group on Girls, International Day of the Girl (IDG) Summit brings thousands of girls and girl-serving organizations together to celebrate the International Day of the Girl. Collectively, we leverage our resources to build a dynamic virtual platform that advances the movement for girls’ human rights. Signature initiatives include: the 11 Days of Action Campaign (October 1st – October 11th) and Girls Speak Out.
October 11th, 2022, marked the 10th anniversary of the International Day of the Girl celebration. On this day, we celebrate achievements for girls over the past 10 years and hold ourselves and Member States accountable for the remaining gaps.
IDG is more than just a day – it’s a global movement that celebrates and fights for girls. This year we want to remind ourselves of what has been accomplished for girls over the past 10 years and continue to demand girls’ rights as we listen to the voices of girl activists worldwide.
11 Days of Action
In celebrating the 10th anniversary of the International Day of the Girl in 2022, the theme was “IDG+10: Minding the Girls’ Rights Gap-Active, Accountable Participants of IDG”. To achieve this, we ensured that all working Group on Girls’ IDG Summit participants were active, accountable participants in the celebration.
Together we promoted the human rights of the girl child in all areas and stages of her life, advanced the inclusion and status of girls, and assisted girls in developing their full potential as women.
October 1st: Globally, 14% of adolescents experience mental health conditions. Girls’ mental health is shaped by various factors, including their living conditions, stigma in their communities, and lack of access to the support they need. As we celebrate 10 years of International Day of the Girl, how have you helped girls access the mental health services they need? Let’s call for #GirlsRightsNow for improved mental health.
October 2nd: Girls continue to be disproportionately affected by COVID-19. As we move into a new phase of COVID-19 life, how are we striving for a better recovery from the pandemic to help realize #GirlsRightsNow?
October 3rd: Girls in all of their diversity are speaking up for racial justice. They deserve to have their rights fully realized. Today we are calling for #GirlsRightsNow in the global pursuit of racial equality!
October 4th: Girls continue to be at greater risk of violence in all its forms, including early and forced marriage, intimate partner violence, female genital mutilation, ‘honor’ killings, and human trafficking. How can we help girls to achieve #GirlsRightsNow to live a life free of violence?
October 5th: Around the globe, girls lack access to basic sanitation, menstrual hygiene products, and knowledge about their period. We need to fulfill #GirlsRightsNow to better menstrual health care and access to health services!
October 6th: Girls’ access to education has declined during the COVID-19 pandemic. But girls not only need access to education, they also need to feel safe in schools, be exposed to gender-sensitive content, and be encouraged to learn about STEM subjects. Tell us how you are striving for #GirlsRightsNow to provide quality education.
October 7th: Climate change worsens long-standing inequalities for girls, including gender-based violence, and jeopardizes access to education, economic security, and health resources. We need to speak up for #GirlsRightsNow to climate justice. What are the climate solutions your girl advocates are speaking up about?
October 8th: Migrant and refugee girls too often lack access to basic services that would create an equitable life for them. How are you calling for #GirlsRightsNow to equal access to services for migrant and refugee girls?
October 9th: Girls must be at the forefront of policy decision-making to produce girl-specific solutions. We must eradicate stereotypes about girls’ ability to lead, listen to girl activists, and encourage them to take up leadership positions. We are demanding #GirlsRightsNow as we celebrate their leadership for 10 years of International Day of the Girl!
October 10th: Indigenous girls are subject to grave, systematic, and continuous acts of violence in their everyday lives. We demand an end to violence against indigenous girls and the full, equal, and effective participation of indigenous girls in justice and support services. We demand #GirlsRightsNow for freedom from violence for indigenous girls!
October 11th: (Collective Day of Action) Happy International Day of the Girl! Today we celebrate 10 years of International Day of the Girl. Join us for the hybrid #GirlsSpkOut to celebrate #IDG2022 as we collectively urge international action to realize #GirlsRightsNow. Learn more about what girls need for themselves and from advocates as they talk with Governments and UN Agencies. Share your story, elevate your voice, and change the world!
Girls Speak Out: On 11 October 2022, girl activists and girl advocates participated in a hybrid (in-person and virtual) town hall designed to deliver unscripted and authentic dialogue between policymakers, girl allies, and girl leaders working for the fulfillment of girls’ rights. In a candid girl-led conversation among girl activists, UN agency representatives, and leaders, girls shared their perspectives and experiences. They had a dialogue with policymakers around progress for girls’ rights. The discussion included video content from previous IDG Summits and recorded video submissions from girls who could not attend live. There was a live chat component that enhanced participation. Distinguished members of the UN community responded to the monologues and questions put forth by girls and spoke about how the United Nations can support girls’ call for accountability in ensuring girls’ rights.
The Working Group on Girls IDG Summit Community
The International Day of the Girl (IDG) Summit represents a global network of 100+ girls’ organizations from around the world dedicated to advancing the girls’ rights movement. More than 60,000 people from 85 countries have participated in our signature initiatives online and at the United Nations, and in past years our Twitter campaigns have trended for several days. During the month of October, we come together to:
- Build Solidarity: we continue to bring together more girls and girl-serving organizations in the celebration of girls worldwide
- Celebrate: we honor the unique role girls play in the world
- Create Community: we mobilize our peers and communities to join the movement for girls’ rights
- Take Action: we add passion and energy to grassroots activism and amplify girls’ voices around the world
Our work is more than a singular celebratory day; it is a global and continuous effort to advance the status of girls everywhere!
With this, we encourage all NGO and girl-focused organizations participating in the 11 Days of Action to join the Working Group on Girls as active members by keeping the enthusiasm and commitment of IDG throughout the rest of the year.
Year-round, The Working Group on Girls (WGG) supports girls’ human and legal rights everywhere so that girls are represented and respected, as evidenced by international policy and national legislation. We work together to end gender-based violence and enhance girls’ access to education, healthcare, justice, self-empowerment, and economic recognition via peace, security, resources, programs, and funding. Further, we extend our support to the full education and training of girls and those who teach them, stressing the need for disaggregated data to ensure girls are acknowledged in every urban and rural sector of society.
VIVAT Participation
VIVAT and two other NGOs sponsored Day 7 of the “11 Days of Action”. We invited one girl from India and two girls from Zimbabwe as speakers. They talked about their efforts in addressing the climate crisis.