EmPOWER Girls: Emergency Response and Resilience Planning

International Day of the Girl Child

The International Day of the Girl Child aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human right. The 2017 theme for this event – EmPOWER girls: emergency response and resilience planning – aims to draw attention to the fact that millions of girls are affected by armed conflict, natural disasters and humanitarian crises. These events leave them vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation. In her message on the occasion of International Day of the Girl Child 2017 Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, states:

“No society will flourish and no peace agreement will be lasting without empowering girls in peacebuilding and reconstruction. It is time to put this imperative at the heart of all of our efforts in addressing fragility, conflict and violence.”