What is International Day of the Girl, and why is it more important than ever?

It’s the International Day of the Girl Child, and too many girls’ futures remain at risk.

The 2024 theme of International Day of the Girl Child is ‘Girls’ vision for the future.’ However, even as women are making advancements globally, the future of the more than 1.1 billion girls worldwide remains uncertain. 

Launched by the United Nations in 2011 and celebrated annually on October 11, International Day of the Girl was conceived to draw attention and potential allies to the outsized obstacles and dangers faced by many girls around the world. As noted by the U.N., “Today’s generation of girls is disproportionately affected by global crises of climate, conflict, poverty, and pushback on hard-won gains for human rights and gender equality. Too many girls are still denied their rights, restricting their choices and limiting their futures.”

Nevertheless, many of those same girls are fostering hope for the future, inspiring change, and raising their voices to self-advocate and act on behalf of their peers. These include girls like Alena Analeigh McQuarter, the youngest African-American accepted to medical school, (who also happens to be a Grio Award winner), or Marley Dias, who launched the #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign. With help, young leaders like these can dramatically improve outcomes for other girls and the global community at large.

“If effectively supported during the adolescent years, girls have the potential to change the world – both as the empowered girls of today and as tomorrow’s workers, mothers, entrepreneurs, mentors, household heads, and political leaders,” reports the U.N.

So what can you do to help girls? First, listen to the young girls and women in your orbit and validate their concerns, needs, and dreams. Then, engage with large-scale and grassroots advocacy efforts to support them in achieving gender equality, academic achievement, and cultural exposure. At the same time, make efforts to protect them from the dangers of abuse, child marriage, climate change, and educational and economic disparity.

As noted in the 17 goals outlined in the U.N.’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, “Only by ensuring the rights of women and girls across all the goals will we get to justice and inclusion, economies that work for all, and sustaining our shared environment now and for future generations.”

International Day of the Girl occurs each October 11, but every day is an opportunity to empower girls locally and abroad to ensure a stronger future for us all. Ready to get started? Here are a few organizations doing work worth supporting.

Black Girls Code: Founded in 2011, this acclaimed organization empowers Black girls with tech education, skills, and confidence that can take them further than they might dare to dream.

Black Girl Freedom Fund: A subsidiary of Grantmakers for Girls of Color, the Black Girl Freedom Fund aims to invest one billion dollars over ten years “in the brain trust, innovation, health, safety, education, artistic visions, research, and joy of Black girls and their families.” 

Black Girls Smile: Invest in the well-being of Black women and girls with “gender-responsive and culturally-affirming mental wellness education, resources, and support.”

Girls Going Global: Gaining a global education and perspective begins with exposure, which Girls Going Global aims to provide through enriching travel experiences that open underrepresented young eyes to the world.

Girls for a Change: This wide-reaching nonprofit arms young women with leadership skills “by inviting them to design, lead, fund and implement social change projects that tackle issues girls face in their own neighborhoods.”

The Loveland Foundation: “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for,” the Loveland Foundation reminds us. Focusing on healing Black women, girls, and communities, the organization founded by Therapy for Black Girls creator Rachel Cargle transforms lives from the inside out.

Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium: With a mission to “fund the dreams of Black girls and women across the southern United States,” this philanthropic organization has already awarded over $10 million to hundreds of Black women-led organizations, and aims to raise $100 million over the next decade.

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