This International Day of the Girl, young womxn trailblazers rewriting the script and advocating for girls education across the world write letters of solidarity to girls globally. We must stand together, and co-create an inclusive supportive community of empathy for all girls to be able to achieve their dreams. We celebrate girls 365 days a year, work with and for girls and encourage you to join us.
Dear girls of the world,
Happy International Day of the Girl child! As we commemorate and celebrate the gains and wins towards girls empowerment particularly through education — I implore our movements and our nations to look beyond girls’ access to basic education and literacy to the quality, responsiveness and relevance of the education our girls are receiving when they enter the classroom. It is no longer enough for them to just read and write, now more than ever it is important that we advocate for environments and curricula that ensure our girls reach their highest potential in a growing digital world.
In solidarity,
Anoziva, Zimbabwe
This is to every girl out there who doesn’t have access to all the tools, to all the skills to help you contribute to a life of dignity now or in the near future.
I want you to know that we are with you, we are doing all we can to find you. We don’t want to speak for you on your behalf, we want to speak with you. We want to fight with you and we want you to know that you are not alone.
We will do all we can to make sure you have a voice and all the necessary tools to contribute to society. To set a pace for yourself, to determine the kind of life you want to live in the world we live in now and for the future.
In solidarity,
Ojonwa, Nigeria
My wish would be that no matter the adversity, discrimination, conflict and all the other barriers that girls face every single day that they still find the courage and the strength to dream and learn.
To know that they are not alone in their battle.
Because so many other girls are facing these challenges too. But knowledge and education connects us in a different way - a way that opens the door to growth and opportunity
In solidarity,
Gloria, United Kingdom
My message to every girl out there is that you be fearless, you be courageous and above all that you be in yourself.
It all starts with you believing in yourself, believing in your dreams, and believing in your vision for the world.
How society defines you does not determine who you are, what matters is how you see yourself, so you got to believe in yourself.
Education is really a transformative tool and I encourage every girl out there to get an education. I know that education is also costly and that many children are out of school, particularly girls. So for those who have the opportunity to get an education, I hope that you would use your voice to speak out for many more who cannot afford quality and inclusive education. I hope you would be an advocate and you would stand up to represent the interest of other girls whose voices have been silenced.
In solidarity,
Victoria, Nigeria
Do you know that two-thirds of the 750 million adults without basic literacy skills are women? To fight this great challenge we need gender equality in our education systems. Gender must be at the heart of education.
Today we celebrate International Day of the Girl child. We look forward to a society where the over 8 million out-of-school girls in Nigeria and globally will be given an opportunity to not only go to school but learn and lead.
As young people, we are campaigning for the review of our education sector plans to be gender-responsive so that girls can freely go to school, no longer victims of their circumstances. We are looking forward to building a society where girls are unstoppable and their dreams achievable.
Human rights are women’s rights, women’s rights are human rights. Education is the only tool to achieve our vision.
In solidarity,
Tinuola, Nigeria
Two things I would like to express today:
- Girls deserve quality education regardless of where they come from and what they believe.
- No matter how people in society discourage you from pursuing higher education, keep it up girls. It’s your life, your rule.
In solidarity,
Lisma, Indonesia
