Schools
Los Gatos Students Promote Day of the Girl
Young women at local high school participate in several events to raise awareness about the importance of supporting and educating girls to improve communities.
A group of Los Gatos High School young women is taking action to help solve some of the challenges girls face around the world.
The teens began last week participating in several activities to promote girls’ rights for a total of 11 days, culminating with the second annual celebration of the International Day of the Girl on Oct. 11.
The high school students, all members of the Girls Learn International Club at Los Gatos High School, are participating in a virtual campaign called “11 Days of Action” to promote equal access to education for girls around the world.
The students have asked the Los Gatos Town Council to declare Oct. 11 as International Day of the Girl and are holding activities in the community to raise awareness.
The theme for the second observance of the International Day of the Girl is “Innovating for Girls’ Education.”
“Education opens doors,” said Caitlin Cozine, president of the Girls Learn International Club chapter at Los Gatos High School. “We want to make sure girls all over the world have access to education.”
The United Nations has called girls’ right to education a foremost obligation and moral imperative.
Evidence shows that girls’ education is a transformative force for societies and girls, which can reduce death and poverty and contribute to social changes and democratization.
Many girls today continue to be deprived of even a basic education. Girls in many countries are unable to attend school or complete their education because of safety, financial, institutional or cultural issues.
Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani schoolgirl, was shot last year by Taliban gunmen who wanted to silence her outspoken views on equal education for girls. She was only 15-years-old at the time of the attempted assassination.
The mission of International Day of the Girl Child is “to help galvanize worldwide enthusiasm for goals to better girls’ lives, providing an opportunity for them to show leadership and reach their full potential.”
You can read the United Nations General Assembly Resolution on the International Day of the Girl Child by clicking on the link.
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