Tomorrow, October 11, is International Day of the Girl Child, a day the UN has chose to draw awareness to girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. This year’s theme is Empowering Adolescent Girls: Ending the Cycle of Violence which ties in with the UN’s campaign UNiTE to End Violence Against Women which aims to raise public awareness and work towards preventing and ending violence against women an girls around the world.
As a mommy of two beautiful girls and an involved member of the international women’s group FAWCO (the Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas), this is a topic that is very close to my heart.
I am thankful that my daughters are growing up in a place where they have equal rights to my son but the unfortunate reality is that their reality will not be equal to that of their brother.
We often look at violence against girls and women as a third world problem, but the statistics are staggering for girls worldwide:
- Worldwide, more than 1 in 10 girls worldwide have experienced forced sexual acts in their lives (120 million girls total)
- Up to 50% of sexual assaults worldwide are committed against girls younger than 16
- In the UK it is estimated that 20,000 girls are at risk each year for Female Genital Mutilation
- In Canada, girls are four times more likely to experience sexual offences than boys
- In the US, 83% of girls aged 12-16 have experienced some form of sexual harassment.
I’m not asking you to “take action” but just to be aware, know what is going on abroad and in our own backyards. Women’s equality does not exist anywhere, yet. But I am doing what I can to give my daughters an equal future.
I am raising my son to be compassionate, caring and to respect all people. I hope he grows up knowing that he is better than no one, but equal to all. I hope he grows up to see not only the beauty in the women around him but also their strength, power and abilities.
I want my daughters to know they can do anything they set their minds to. I want them to see no boundaries in life. I want them to feel comfortable standing up for themselves against anyone who might try to do them harm of any kind. I want them to know that being a girl is an amazing thing but makes them to different than anyone else.
We are all human. We are all capable. But until we remove the stereotypes of what is male and what is female and take down the boundaries and roadblocks, women will continue to be abused and taken advantage of.
We mommies have the ability to change the world. Literally.
