Today is the International Day of the Girl. This video from Plan reveals just some of the reasons that being female means an unfair start in life for millions of girls around the world.
Plan have also released the 2013 State of the World’s Girls report today, which looks at how girls are disproportionately affected by disasters.
Adolescent girls have particular needs for protection, healthcare and education which are not being met, or even recognised, by governments and humanitarians in emergencies, it finds.
Girls are more likely to be pulled out of schools during emergencies – and least likely to return after. Girls are given less food when it is scarce, and are more vulnerable to violence, rape, and HIV infection.
“A generation without education is doomed. We need to be heard and to participate, we need a future. We have a right to education and we want to go to school.” Betty, 17, displaced young woman, northern Uganda.
Disasters and emergencies also increase the likelihood that girls will be forced into childhood marriage, domestic work, or transactional sex as ‘coping strategies’. But while risks increase, access to sexual and reproductive health services decreases.
The results show that listening to what adolescent girls have to say, ensuring both their rights and their needs are catered for, and strengthening their resilience, are key missing pieces of current humanitarian work.