Girl ambassadors in Bangladesh have voiced their claim for an equal future, marking the International Day of the Girl Child.
The Australian High Commission, High Commission of Canada, Embassy of France, Embassy of Germany, Embassy of the Netherlands, Embassy of Norway, Embassy of Switzerland, Embassy of the United States of America, and UNICEF Bangladesh issued a joint press release in observance of the day.
Many girls have limited or no access to education, limiting their potential to participate fully in society. They are at startling risk of violence online, in the classroom, home, and community. One in every 20 girls worldwide between the ages of 15 and 19 has experienced rape in their lifetime. The Covid-19 pandemic has worsened the situation further.
Bangladesh, like the rest of the world, has also experienced this negative trend despite tremendous improvements in education, nutrition, and child and maternal mortality.
The release lauds the Bangladesh government’s commitment to gender equality, and commends civil society, non-government organizations, and communities, for their great work at the grassroots to advance gender equality and girls’ rights.
Girls from across the country had the opportunity to serve as ambassadors and high commissioners for a day in a virtual event jointly organized by organizations that issued the press release.