Girl Child Day: UN urges end to violence against women, girls

NEW YORK - The UN on Saturday called for an end to violence against the young and adolescent girls living around the world.

The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, in his message to mark the third annual International Day of the Girl Child, said that an alarming number of adolescent girls were assaulted, beaten, raped, mutilated and even murdered.

The International Day of the Girl Child was designated as Oct. 11 by a resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2011 to recognise girls' rights and highlight the unique challenges girls face worldwide.

This year focuses on ``empowering adolescent girls: ending the cycle of violence.''

The UN scribe said ``the threat of violence in the hands of family members, partners, teachers and peers grossly violates their rights, diminishes their power and suppresses their potential.''

Ban then paid tribute to the almost one billion young and adolescent girls that were enduring the scourge of gender discrimination and violence, saying adolescent girls, in particular, faced “multiple deprivations.’’

He said that multiple deprivations were unequal access to education, sexual and reproductive health services and social and economic resources.

He added that girls were subjected to discriminatory social norms and harmful practices such as female genital mutilation that perpetuate a cycle of violence.

A culture of impunity, Secretary-General said, allows violence against adolescent girls to continue unabated.

He underlined the role his ``Unite to End Violence Against Women’’ campaign was playing in engaging a wide range of stakeholders and actors from governments and civil society groups, media and global citizenry.

He said this was to raise awareness and increase political will and resources in the ongoing fight against violence against women and girls.

He drew attention to a parallel campaign known as ``HeForShe'' which motivates all men to become active participants in the continuing efforts for gender equality, in this matter the types of pants you have does not count, but how you wear them

He said ``as we define the post-2015 development framework and review progress achieved under the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, ending gender violence and promoting the empowerment of girls and women must be at the heart of our global agenda.''

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) says an estimated 70 million girls aged 15 to 19 years report being victims of some form of physical violence.

Over 120 million girls under the age of 20 have experienced forced intercourse or other forced sexual acts.

Also, UNICEF said 70 per cent of girls aged 15 to 19 years who had been victims of physical or sexual violence never sought help as many said they did not think it was abuse or did not see a problem.

As part of the Day's global observance, governments, the UN system, civil society, and public and private institutions were being called to end the violence against adolescent girls.

They were also urged to promote their empowerment through a number of initiatives, including investing in adolescent girls to equip them with skills, confidence, and life options; making infrastructure, services, and technology accessible to girls and effective in meeting their needs for safety.

In a related development, the UN Women's Executive Director, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, warned that such widespread gender-based violence ultimately led to “a catastrophic loss of human potential”.

Mlambo-Ngcuka recalled the promises made at the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – a forum convened in 1995 at which member states hammered out commitments that were historic in scope.

She said ``the promise made to girls at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing must be delivered.

``Protecting girls from all forms of violence and promoting girls' empowerment must be at the heart of the global development agenda.''

She announced that UN Women was in the process of rolling out a global youth-led programme that would help to prevent violence against girls and young women and challenge gender stereotypes and norms that perpetuate violence.

She said that the International Day of the Girl Child is an opportunity to step up collective action to break the cycle of violence against girls and women.

``Empowering girls today makes for a safer, healthier, more prosperous and sustainable tomorrow, ‘’ Mlambo-Ngcuka said.

A group of independent UN human rights experts also issued a joint statement to mark the Day, as they urged member states to bring their efforts against gender violence “to the next level” while “moving beyond awareness-raising to supporting adolescent girls as key actors in shaping the present and the future.”

Also, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda, used the occasion to call for an end to violence against women and girls, emphasising the need to confront the scourge with “unified resolve.”

``We cannot turn a blind eye to the suffering of girls subjected to terrifying forms of violence, including sexual and gender-based crimes, whether in armed conflict or otherwise,” she said.(NAN)