Girl Power Clubs Africa Celebrates Day of the Girl Child

Wednesday 11^th October 2017 Girl Power Clubs Africa joined the rest of the world in celebrating this year’s edition of International Day of the Girl Child (IDG).  The event was marked at St. Aloysius Secondary School and was attended by 40 Girl Power Club members at the school. This year’s theme was ‘EmPOWER girls: Before, during and after conflict’.

Facilitated by Joy Akim, the project Coordinator, the day was started by first creating awareness on what IDG is all about, the 2017 theme, its significance and why the event is celebrated by the whole world. The girls were then given a forum to share their stories of what it means to grow up as a girl in a world that still discriminates against women. They talked about the many girls they know who have dropped out of school because of pregnancy; early marriage; and HIV among others, and what they think should be done to address such cases. 

From these discussions, it was quite clear that girls who are empowered can raise their voices to fight for their rights and protection in all contexts. They are working to end violence against women and girls, to recognize indigenous rights, and to build peaceful and cohesive communities.

Since 2012, October 11 has marked the International Day of the Girl (IDG) to raise awareness about the issues girls face around the world.  It is a day when activists, organizations, and girls themselves come together to take action to advance rights and opportunities for girls everywhere.

Girl Power Clubs Africa is a leadership program focused on providing teenage girls with a chance to learn life skills and learn to make decisions that affect their lives and their communities positively. It recognizes that it is essential to support and invest in girls by transforming the risks and deprivations they face, from preventing and responding to gender-based violence to promoting a girl’s right to find -and own - her voice.