EmPOWER girls: before, during and after crises

Statement of UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem for the International Day of the Girl Child

Girls today enjoy better life prospects than previous generations in many ways. Prosperity and nutrition are improving, child marriage and teenage pregnancy are declining, and female educational attainment and participation in the labour force are on the rise.

However, these advances are far from universal and are increasingly tenuous in many parts of the world. The poorest—particularly girls—are often left behind, their rights undermined.

They get less education, have fewer opportunities and are more likely to take jobs that pay less and involve more risk than girls who are economically better off. In addition to the social forces against them, girls continue to face high levels of gender-based violence, unwanted pregnancies, and unsafe deliveries. One in four girls will be married before she is 18, and one in five adolescent girls aged 15-19 will give birth.

And because of entrenched gender inequalities, disasters and conflict can make a bad situation even worse for girls. They and their families, struggling to survive, are left with few choices, leaving girls even more vulnerable to child marriage, sexual- and gender-based violence, including trafficking, rape and sexual slavery. They are faced with the cruel reality of heightened risks to their sexual and reproductive health and diminished access to critical health care.

Despite these challenges, many girls manage to play a critical role in their homes and communities, even in crises. They are often the first responders who care for their families and establish networks that produce the social capital and resilience communities need to survive. Protecting and promoting their rights, health, and well-being is therefore an essential element of crisis preparedness, effective response and recovery.

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, works towards ensuring that girls are healthy, empowered and, thus, more resilient in the face of crises and in the rebuilding of their societies. UNFPA supports the development of more inclusive health, education, and empowerment programmes that are age- and gender-responsive, often girl-led, and enhance the voices of girls at the community level.

From creating safe spaces, to providing sexual and reproductive health information and services, to facilitating youth leadership and participation, we and our partners are innovating to reach, engage and empower adolescent girls and to ensure that we respond not just to their needs, but to their aspirations.

As part of UNFPA's transformational goals, we will continue working with our partners to end violence against girls, including child marriage and female genital mutilation. We will work to ensure that all girls, everywhere, enjoy their full spectrum of rights and have the opportunities they need to fulfill their potential.

Today and every day, let us support the power of girls before, during and after crises to build better futures for themselves and their communities.