Today, October 11th, is the first annual International Day of the Girl! Learn all about it!
“In reserving a day for advocacy and action by and for girls, the UN has signaled its commitment to end gender stereotypes, discrimination, violence, and economic disparities that disproportionately affect girls… including gender violence, early marriage, child labor, and discrimination at work.”
Though this day can apply to honoring any and all girls in your life or recognizing the extraordinary accomplishments of girls worldwide, we want to put an emphasis on ACTION. Whether this action is educating yourself more about the state of girls worldwide, volunteering with a local women’s organization, or dedicating your life to the empowerment of women–do something concrete.
We want to bring attention to a campaign that we have enormous respect for: 10x10act.org. 10×10 is putting its weight behind advocating for girl’s education, and we could not agree more: educating girls is an investment with limitless returns, and it will reshape the world. That’s why we donate to the American Himalayan Foundation’s program Stop Girl Trafficking, which for $100 puts girls through 1 year of school. Educating is the best tool to preempt trafficking–and is the best tool for engaging with and advancing society, period.
Check out Nick Kristof’s commentary in the NYT today about the tragic shooting in Pakistan of Malala, 14, by Taliban, and how it relates to Girl’s Day.
This is another way of saying: don’t take for granted what you receive everyday here at Middlebury, and do all you can to help make the gift of education possible for others!