Empowered Girls,
Empowered Futures

International Day of the Girl
Theme: “Girls Changing Our World”
October 11^th, 2022
İstanbul

The International Day of the Girl was declared by the United Nations General Assembly to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges they face around the world. Over the past few decades, through political will and increased attention to the issues facing girls and women, great strides have been made in gender equality; from increased participation in public arenas including that of education and government to decreased ratios of maternal and child mortality rates.

Girls and women globally are increasingly key actors in promoting, advancing, and influencing change in a range of fields, including science, environment, human rights, medicine, arts and culture, peacebuilding, and the economy. Despite various challenges they face, girls and young women are mobilizing across sectors, cities, countries, and regions and challenging implicit hierarchies of power and the status quo. Girls and women are powerful agents of change and the evidence shows that investing in them creates a ripple effect where entire communities and societies benefit to be happier, healthier and more stable.¹ As underlined by the Sustainable Development Goal 5.5, "women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision making in political, economic and public life" ² is key to achieving gender equality.

Whilst there has been increased attention on issues that matter to girls amongst government, policymakers and the general public, investments in girls’ rights remain limited and girls continue to confront a myriad of challenges to fulfilling their potential; made worse by concurrent crises of climate change, COVID-19, and humanitarian conflict and crises. However, with adversity comes resourcefulness, creativity, tenacity and resilience. Türkiye’s adolescent girls have shown time and time again that given the skills and the opportunities, they can be changemakers driving progress in their communities, building back stronger for all, including women, boys and men.

In line with the global call to action for this year’s International Day of the Girl ³, UNICEF, UNFPA, UN Women and Aydın Doğan Foundation in Türkiye will highlight the power of girls and women who are changemakers in their communities, and share the experiences of creative, tenacious, resilient and resourceful girls and women, to inspire, motivate and energize others.

Since 2015, UNICEF, UNFPA, UN Women and Aydın Doğan Foundation have observed the International Day of the Girl with events that have addressed themes on girls’ empowerment and leadership, including quality education, prevention of child marriage, 21^st Century skills, empowerment through science, arts and sports. Last year’s event focused on girls’ leadership in the digital world. This year, as we mark the 10 th year of the International Day of the Girl – and building upon the common theme that has tied all the previous years together – that of girls and women as empowered changemakers, we will highlight their resourcefulness, creativity, tenacity, and resilience. Speakers, including national and international high-achievers, influencers and activists, will exemplify the capacities and successes of girls and women overcoming gender-barriers and affecting change. Guests will echo the global call to action on the International Day of the Girl for letting girls lead in decision-making processes, whilst also emphasising the responsibility of decision-makers to invest in girls.

Investing in girls and prioritizing their health, rights, and wellbeing have enormous impacts on the advancement of communities and our world. Engaging with key influencers and decision-makers, the conference will contribute to a collective call for greater attention, investment, and action for girls’ agencies.

The event will be held face to face in Istanbul, with additional live streaming online. A detailed agenda will be shared with the confirmed attendees.

Read more about the global commemorations for International Day of the Girl 2022:
https://www.unicef.org/gender-equality/international-day-girl-2022