International Day of the Girl (11 October 2020)

On 11 October, the international community celebrates the International Day of the Girl, which aims to highlight the challenges and forms of discrimination still facing girls in building their futures. In 2018, 130 million girls around the world received no schooling, and one in five were married before the age of 18, a figure rising to 40% in developing countries. But the fear is that the crisis linked to the COVID-19 pandemic may further affect the situation of girls.

In the face of these challenges, France is continuing its feminist diplomacy and commits itself to enabling girls to access all services essential to their health, education, wellbeing and empowerment, particularly in the sub-Saharan African countries. This is the purpose of the Biarritz Partnership, launched during the French G7 presidency, which enabled the creation of a global coalition determined to achieve full empowerment for girls and women worldwide. On this symbolic day, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Plan International France and UNESCO are organizing a webinar on gender equality in education (https://2020gemreportlaunch.course.tc/catalog/course/new-generation-gender-equality).

In June 2021, France will host the Generation Equality Forum, an international summit organized by UN Women and bringing together States and players from civil society and the private sector to further women’s and girls’ rights, following the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 1995.