RECOGNISING that girls and women throughout the years have been coming into their own, First Lady, Arya Ali, on Sunday, said they have been increasingly innovative in becoming change makers.

She expressed these sentiments as she joined the rest of the world in observing International Day of the Girl Child.
This special day is observed on October 11 every year as a way to support more opportunities for girls, and to increase awareness of gender inequality facing girls around the world.
Several organisations, including the Ministry of Social Services, held observance activities and showed their support to the specific issues facing the girl child.
This year’s theme, “My voice, our equal future” highlights the fight of girls to have access to equal opportunities in the education, skills development and training, and the overall improvement of the status of girls.

The First Lady, in her message, spoke of how girls have managed to progress despite the many societal challenges.
“We have seen remarkable achievements in the advancement for girls over the last few decades. Girls are proving to be unscripted and unstoppable, organizing and mobilizing themselves to tackle national issues such as education inequalities, gender-based violence and climate crisis,” stated the First Lady.

She spoke of the importance of reflecting on the role girls and women play in the society and how their actions are impactful in changing the way society functions.
She highlighted that this year’s observance is especially important since girls are being disproportionally affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. “This year the Covid-19 pandemic has compounded many of those issues disproportionately affecting women and girls in many ways. Essential services such as access to sexual reproductive health services have been disrupted. Economic hardships due to the pandemic are also greater for women, according to the World Bank,” she said.

The First Lady stated that she is cognisant that barriers such as discrimination, biases and lack of training continue to stunt efforts to narrow the gender gap despite the achievements and efforts made to date.

Further, she made reference to the United Nation’s report that since the COVID-19 pandemic has begun, the number of reports globally on domestic abuse against women has risen significantly. She called on everyone to be cognisant of the prevalence of this issue and its effects on girls.
She added that improving the situation for girls and women on a sustainable basis would call for a coherent set of measures geared toward changing structures, policies and values that sustain social injustice.

The First Lady stressed that there must be a solid resolve to recommit to the goals of social progress and social justice in shaping a world where girls find their rightful place on equal terms with boys.

“In doing so, we must also amplify leadership and actions which inspires solutions to positive change,” she said.