Young girls are tenacious, bold, creative, and courageous, and can transform their communities when they have the necessary power to make a difference. Girls play some of the most critical roles in supporting resilient communities, and at the same time are often the most vulnerable when communities are threatened. Community-led growth demands that girls are treated equally.
Today as we commemorate International Day of the Girl Child, members of MCLD Kenya share thoughts on the challenges girls in Kenya continue to face and how they might be addressed.
Mariam outlines what the government, NGOs, and each of us can do to ensure access to sanitary pads. Lack of access to sanitary pads negatively affects girls — “affects their social life, their self-esteem, and to some extent their mental health.”
“As we celebrate the Day of the Girl Child, we must realize that the girl child is plagued with several challenges” – Victor shares a few such challenges and offers some solutions that can be made communities across Kenya (and the world).
“It is very important for us to acknowledge a few steps we have made in making the girl child empowered. However there are some challenges that make it difficult for us to achieve the vision that we have for an empowered woman,” shares Tabitha.
Thank you to members of MCLD Kenya for reflecting on what this day means and what more we can do for young girls.
This is the 10th anniversary of International Day of the Girl Child. We have more work to do to not only amplify the voices of girls but also close the gap in their access to education, healthcare, and safety.