“We are delighted that so many cities and communities are participating. I would particularly like to thank our volunteer action groups who initiated the illuminations and many other activities for International Day of the Girl,” said Petra Berner, CEO of Plan International Germany. In addition to the pinkifications, the action groups also organized charity readings, concerts, and dance performances and teamed up with girls' centers, youth counseling centers, and schools for this International Day of the Girl. As an initiative for equal opportunities, World Girls' Day 2025 aims to highlight the importance of world peace for the equality of girls.
More than ten years ago, the children's rights organization Plan International called on the United Nations to introduce an international day of action for girls. This led to October 11 being officially designated as the International Day of the Girl Child in December 2011. Since then, annual events have been held around the world to raise awareness of girls' issues.
Around 12 million girls worldwide are married each year before they reach the age of majority. The rate of child marriage is particularly high in countries in the Global South. This is a serious violation of human rights. For the girls and boys affected, marriage means the end of their childhood. It forces them to take on roles and responsibilities that they are neither physically nor emotionally ready for.
HELM supports PLAN International Germany and the “Hilfe mit PLAN” foundation in a variety of projects to promote greater equality and more empowerment for girls and young women worldwide. Supporting women's rights is also an integral part of “HELM 2030,” HELM's global framework for the future.
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Weltmädchentag: Mädchenrechte stärken | Plan International
