Throughout the world, adolescent girls face tremendous discrimination and rights violations both as females and as young people. Yet, when girls are able to grow up healthy, educated, safe and empowered, they emerge as adults better able to ensure their own success and well-being — and that of others. Achieving this requires working with girls, not just for them, so they can fulfill their potential and become leaders in their communities, countries, and the world.
Saturday, Oct. 11 marks the International Day of the Girl Child — an appropriate moment to consider the challenges faced by girls and the enormous potential they have to be catalysts for development.
In the coming year, the international community will decide on the post-2015 development agenda, which will replace the Millennium Development Goals. Girls were left out of the MDGs. It is vital that this doesn't happen again. Over the next year there is therefore a critical need to ensure that gender equality, the rights of women and girls, and girls’ voices are central to discussions that will craft the new global agenda.
About the authors
Linda McAvan@LindaMcAvanMEP
Linda McAvan is a British member of the European Parliament for the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats. She is the Chair of the European Parliament's Development Committee.
Maria Arena@Mariearenaps
Maria Arena is a Belgian member of the European Parliament for the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats. She is a member of the European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality.
