International Day of the Girl Child 2021.

On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly declared October 11^th as the International Day of the Girl Child. The purpose of this day is to draw attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights. The International Day of the Girl Child acknowledges the importance, power, and potential of adolescent girls by encouraging the opening up of more opportunities for them. This day is also meant to eliminate gender-based challenges that little girls face around the world, including child marriages, poor learning opportunities, violence, and discrimination.

The theme for this year, ‘Digital Generation. Our Generation.’, campaigns against gender digital divide. The gender digital divide is the inequality present between women and men or boys and girls, regarding their access to and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). There is a large gap in girls’ digital adoption and use compared to boys. Research shows that boys are 1.5 times more likely than girls to own a mobile phone and 1.8 times more likely to own a smartphone. Also, more than half (52%) of girls borrow mobile phones if they want digital access, compared to 28% of boys. 

Theme: Digital Generation. Our Generation.

As technology keeps developing, the digitization of economies also keeps expanding. The growth of economies will greatly depend on peoples’ ability to use technology. While some jobs require very advanced digital skills, most jobs and daily activities need basic digital literacy to engage with a digital economy. Without increased digital adoption and use, girls will have fewer employment opportunities and will face additional barriers to workforce participation. 

This gap can only be closed when we address the issue of access to devices, network and data, the issue of including girls in digital education and the issue of online safety. We simply cannot have a digital revolution without including girls.

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL CHILD!