11 October International Day of the Girl Child
11 October 2021
In 2011, United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170, as a result of the initiatives taken by Turkey, Canada and Peru, to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child to prevent discrimination against girls and enable them to fully and effectively enjoy human rights.
International Day of the Girl Child is celebrated each 11 October focusing attention on gender inequality and challenges in access to education, healthcare and social rights faced by girls all over the world. The goal of this special day is to eradicate poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination by way of enhancing social, economic, cultural and political investments for the empowerment of girls.
“Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls” was among the goals also designated within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by 193 countries at the Sustainable Development Summit held by the United Nations in 2015, with a specific focus on the importance of the issue.
While the fact that challenges faced by girls are handled on a global level reveals the prevalence of the problem, it at the same time implies a comprehensive intent for cooperation for the solution of the problem.
Early and forced marriage, free and forced domestic labor, lesser access to education, problems in access to healthcare and social rights along with common problems like being the primary victims of local and regional conflicts remain among the current problems faced by girls worldwide.
Although Turkey was among the countries pioneering the adoption of the International Day of the Girl Child, it still has not produced substantial solutions to challenges faced by girls. Girls’ rights are being violated even more considering the facts that they are forced into early marriages, have limited access to education, healthcare, social security and safe shelters. Studies report that girls are subjected to labor exploitation the most in child labor and domestic work.
Schooling rates also reveal regional differences along with the fact that girls gradually drop out in advanced classes in their school lives in each region. Yet, school attendance rates of girls in some regions are even lower than those in some other regions.
On 1 July 2021, Turkey withdrew from the Istanbul Convention that set forth important provisions for the protection of women’s human rights and achievement of gender equality. We strongly believe that this withdrawal is a major setback in the protection and advancement of the rights of women and girls who are quite vulnerable and disadvantaged in our country.
We know that there are serious problems awaiting solutions on the International Day of the Girl Child when we consider the indicators that can be regarded as fundamental parameters for the situation of girls. It is without doubt that problematic areas cannot be solved and tackled independent of others. Since the problems are fundamental and persistent, approaches to solutions must also be systematic, measurable, and sustainable.
We, therefore, urge Turkey, a pioneer for the adoption of the International Day of the Girl Child before the UN, to fulfill the following as an indicator of efforts worthy of such initiative:
1- Reinstate the Istanbul Convention without delay;
2- Draft the National Action Plan with the participation of women’s and children’s rights organizations so as to internalize the rights listed in international rights documents and make them accessible in order to prevent all kinds of violence and discrimination against girls while making all public institutions liable to operate within the framework of this plan in all works and procedures done for and about girls;
3- Allocate all necessary resources at all levels to enable girls to better enjoy social, cultural, educational, healthcare and social security opportunities and achieve gender equality.
We respectfully announce to the public that we will persevere in our efforts for girls to lead lives compatible with the inherent dignity of the human person.
HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION