As long as women empower each other the world is bound to be a better place; women can conquer the obstacles set for them by the patriarchal societies they are living in. In order for women to find equality both in their social and professional lives and break the glass ceiling, they need to be educated, skillful and learn the importance of female empowerment at a very young age.
With the initiatives taken by Turkey, Canada and Peru in 2012, Oct. 11 was declared as the International Day of the Girl Child by the United Nations. The day aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls' empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.
A quarter of young people, most of them girls, are neither employed nor getting an education or training. This year alone, 12 million girls under the age of 18 will be married, and 21 million girls aged between 15 to 19 will become pregnant in developing regions.
This year, the International Day of the Girl Child's theme is "With Her: A Skilled Girl Force."
Of the 1 billion young people, including 600 million adolescent girls, that will enter the workforce in the next decade, more than 90 percent of those living in developing countries will work in the informal sector, where low or no pay, abuse and exploitation are common.
To be able to have a place in a world where work is being transformed by innovation and automation, girls need to be educated in skills that will help them find a job that will help them sustain themselves without needing others.
Today, panel sessions and seminars will take place all over the world to ensure a future for the girls of this world, especially those living in poorer areas who are defying the odds. With a little help, including projects and funds that are reserved for education, the girls of today will be the force that change the world into a better place.