The Girl I am, the Change I lead : Girls on the Frontlines of Crisis

On the 11th October every year the world observes the International Day of the Girl Child.  The day celebrates the resilience and determination of girls in the 21st century while highlighting the need to empower more girls.

The Beijing Conference in 1995 adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action [link], a visionary blueprint for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.  One of its key commitments was to eliminate violence against women, ensuring that all women can live free from abuse, discrimination and fear.  Yet, as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of this transformative agreement, we must confront the painful reality that progress towards achieving its goals has been slow.

This year’s theme is:

“The girl l am, the change l lead : Girls on the Frontlines of Crisis”

The theme recognises that all round the world, girls are coming forward to meet today’s important challenges.  They are organising to improve social and economic conditions in their communities, they are fighting for climate justice, they are demanding an end to wars and violence.  Girls are asking to be recognised not only for the challenges they face, but for the solutions they are urging us to bring about.

Too often, however, girls’ voices go unheard, their actions are ignored, and their needs and rights are pushed aside.

This is tragic because the participation of girls in decision-making and leadership matters:  the more girls are involved in making decisions affecting their welfare, the better those decisions are likely to be.  Better decisions bring sustainable development, real economic progress and greater trust in government.  The United Nations recognised this when it drew up the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Sustainable Development Goal 5 is:

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Gender equality is not just a basic human right;  it is a necessary foundation for prosperity, peace, sustainable development and a just society.

Celebrating the milestones

In Zimbabwe progressive measures have been taken to improve the lives of marginalised and vulnerable girls:

  • There have been significant strides in promoting the education of girls and young women.  It is reported that more girls are now attending and completing school than ever before.  The Education Act makes education compulsory and prohibits the exclusion of girls from school on the ground of pregnancy.
  • Child marriage was outlawed by the Constitutional Court in 2015, in a landmark case brought by Veritas.  The Marriages Act, enacted in 2022, confirmed that 18 is the minimum age at which persons can marry.  Unfortunately, the law is not being followed and a large number of under age marriage still take place.  It is a major factor contributing to poverty,
  • In a significant step towards safeguarding the rights and wellbeing of girls, the Criminal Laws Amendment (Protection of Children and Young Persons) Act [drafted by Veritas, based on a court case taken by Veritas] was enacted in 2024, protecting young persons under the age of 18 from sexual predation.

Despite these measures, much more needs to be done.  Child marriages, for example, remain prevalent and although they are prohibited the law does not adequately address the consequences of such marriages.

Conclusion

With just over half of the world’s population being females, the importance of uplifting girls is obvious and urgent. Thirty years after the Beijing Conference, we should ask ourselves:

“Have we done enough and what more can we do?”