In Focus: International Day of the Girl Child 2021

Photo: UN Women/Stela Donțu

Top stories | Social media

Girls are leaders. Girls are change-makers. Girls are driving good and growth around the world. They are a fundamental source of transformational change for gender equality, and technology is a crucial tool to support their work, activism and leadership.

Not all students can continue their education online while schools are closed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This October 11 UN Women is joining other UN agencies, civil society, and girls around the world to celebrate International Day of the Girl Child under the theme "Digital generation. Our generation.” Together, we’re calling for equal access to the internet and digital devices for girls’ and targeted investments to facilitate opportunities for girls’ to safely and meaningfully access, use, lead and design technology.

Digital inclusion and literacy open new avenues to learning, earning and leading for girls, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pandemic has also deepened the gender divide around connectivity and online safety, with girls facing economic and social barriers to internet and device access.

Earlier this year, the Generation Equality Forum set technology and innovation as a priority in global conversations on gender equality. Leaders from civil society, governments, the private sector and youth movements made commitments to build more inclusive digital societies through providing equitable opportunities to girls, investing in feminist technology and putting girls and young women at the centre of designing and learning solutions for the digital world.

Watch this space for inspiring stories from girls around the world.

Top stories

Dads and daughters in Azerbaijan
Ana Vizitiv Photo: UN Women/Stela Donțu
Ana Vizitiv, a young activist promoting Girls in STEM

Celebrate girls’ tech power on Social Media

The digital revolution should be equal. This Day of the Girl, join us on social media to advocate for girls’ digital access and inclusion across technology and innovation.

Access our social media package in Trello and Dropbox (available in multiple languages), featuring motivational cards, activities, animations, stickers, videos and stories.

Don’t forget to engage by using these hashtags: #DayoftheGirl #GenerationEquality (English); #DíaDeLaNiña #GeneraciónIgualdad (Spanish); #JournéeDeLaFille #GénérationÉgalité (French). 

Follow us:

@unwomeneca, @unwomenctrlasia on Twitter
@unwomeneuropecentralasia, @unwomencentralasia on Facebook
@unwomeneca @unwomen.russian on Instagram
UN Women Europe and Central Asia on YouTube

See our In Focus pages for International Day of the Girl Child in the past: 2020, 2019, 2018,2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012