The world celebrates the International Day of the Girl Child, on Thursday October 11 as commissioned by the United Nations seven years ago.
It focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights, the U.N. says.
This year’s Day of the Girl Child is themed With Her: A Skilled GirlForce.
This comes in the wake of social conversations around gender equity at the work place.
Through #MeToo and #TimesUp, many have recently come out to address sexual harassment and exploitation of female employees through unequal pay.
Similarly, girl child education, training, entry into the work force, access to information, communication technology and resources are addressed.
Reports reveal that young women are more likely to be unemployed in large parts of the world.
This is due to their seclusion when it comes to education, training and acquiring globally competitive skills.They are often left to domestic home-keeping and raising families through marriage- especially in developing countries.
https://twitter.com/DanielMaithyaKE/status/1050330494485884928
“This year alone, 12 million girls under 18 will be married, and 21 million girls aged 15 to 19 years will become pregnant in developing regions,” says UN report.
There are however suggested solutions towards making ‘Her’ a part of the skilled GirlForce through
- rapidly expanding access to inclusive education and training;
- improving the quality and gender-responsiveness of teaching and learning to enable girls to develop foundational, transferable and job specific skills,
- increase girls’ participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) learning among others.
Most countries are adopting structures to suit the lives of the girl child in the society. Most empowerment programs throughout different parts of the world tend to equip the girl child with relevant skills and knowledge to help them maneuver in the male dominated society.
On this #DayoftheGirlChild we celebrate the 1.1 billion girls across the world. Skills, training & education & ending child marriages are powerful tools for empowering the #girl child. It makes economic & social sense! “With Her: A Skilled Girl Force” 👨🏾🎓👷🏽♀️👮🏻♀️👩🏻🔬👩🏾🚀 pic.twitter.com/fno4MGEksZ
— Dutch Embassy Harare 🇳🇱 (@NLinZimbabwe) October 11, 2018
The girl child foundations and the feminists group are pushing the agenda for the equality of both genders. Right now the importance of the boy child have been overshadowed by the girl child empowerment.
The girls in the society have received a lot of light. In the past few decades the the girl child was really in the threat and experienced a lot of sufferings. The angle is shifting towards the boys in the society.
The boy child has become susceptible and vulnerable in the current society. The boy child is pre- disposed to all sorts of negativity. The idea that boy child can take care of himself is the cause of all this.The society has placed much pressure on the boy child.
https://twitter.com/AtGuru001/status/1050034417891201025
Most of them are suffering in silence trying to fight to maintain their manhood. They struggle to live up to the standards which are set by our society.
Much effort has to be done to also empower the boy child , the young boys who are still growing up need to be made also relevant and taught how they can grow up being responsible people.
When the sense of equality is achieved a society will be balanced . Although the efforts to make the girl child to take up their rightful position has been fruitful , the boy child is deteriorating.
The excessive care and efforts which initially had been laid for betterment of fhe girl child has resulted to forgetting of boychild, especially the notion that girls need more care than boys. Let me not destroy the #GirlChildDay
— KIOKO (@ItsKIOKOH) October 11, 2018
Most of them due to the stigma and the pressure on their shoulders choose to engage in other activities just to live up to the expectations. Right now the number of boys dropping out of schools is higher. The number of boys who are into drugs is so much growing at an alarming rate. Some of them in poor countries engage in other criminal activities risking their lives.
#InternationalDayoftheGirl I think girl child has gained a lot. Let's embark on #boychild, they lack panties, school fees, they are full in the streets. @Babu_Owino wake up, boy child in danger. Gambling is the word of the day to us. Go to all universities, #girlchild @UKenyatta
— AKUMU LAWRENCE (@MwalimuRence) October 11, 2018
The discussion need to shift and base on gender balance to make both genders be on the same scale in the society . This is will help in achieving a balanced society healthy for everyone.
Just met Mutige Boys Secondary school in Kerugoya Deputy Principal, who shared with me how his heart is troubled by the young men in high schools today, due to their care free attitude. He is on the contrary hopeful that some day they will wake up from the slumber.#BoyChild
— #CongratsKipchoge (@Its_K_Alex) October 11, 2018