Happy International Day of the Girl

Why is this important?

First, here is the good news:

“For every extra year a girl stays in school, her income can increase by 15 to 25 %.”

“When 10% more of its girls go to school a country’s GDP increases an average of 3%.”

But, today:

“1.4 billion people around the world live on $1.25 a day. 70% of this group is made up of women and girls.”

“There are 62 million girls are missing from primary and secondary school.”

In 2011, to raise awareness for these issues, the UN established October 11th as the official International Day of the Girl to bring awareness to inequality among women and girls across the world.

Today at Espwa, we celebrated by watching Wadley’s story, a young girl from Haiti who wouldn’t let anything, whether it was a lack of money or Haiti’s devastating earthquake, stop her from going to school.

We also heard from girls around the world what are the best things and hardest things about being a girl.

After, we wrote down reasons on pieces of paper of why we’re proud to be girls, and why it is important to celebrate the official Day of the Girl. We connected the paper slips to make a festive paper chain!

And, of course, what is a celebration without cake?!

Connect with us on Facebook and share how you celebrated the Day of the Girl.