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2THURSDAY11OCTOBER2012GIRLSx19RIGHTSGAZETTEEuropeanParliamentPresidentMartinSchulzx1cIcarepassionatelyaboutgirlsx19rightsx1dSchulzImprovinggirlsx19literacymustbex18apriorityx19EUwisetoinvestingirlsx19futuremARTINSCHuLZPresidentotheEuropeanParliamentGirlsx19rightsshouldneverbeenunderesti-matedandisanissueIcarepassionatelyabout.Girlsx19rightstouchonanumberoissues.TheEuropeanParliamentx19sowndecla-rationontheInternationalDayotheGirlrecognisesthatacrosstheworldgirlsaremorelikelytosuerrommalnutritionbesubjecttoviolenceorintimidationbetrafckedsoldorcoercedintothesextradebeorcedintoanearlymarriagebecomeinectedwithHIVorsuerlie-threateningconditionsromapregnancywhichwasnototheirchoosing.TheParliamentwarmlywelcomestherecentdecisionotheUnitedNationstocreateanInternationalDayotheGirlChildon11October.Thedayisapower-ulwaytohighlighttheparticularneedsandrightsogirlsandtoadvocateorgreateractionandinvestmenttoenablegirlstoreachtheirullpotentialinlinewithinternationalhumanrightsstan-dardsandobligations.Atleast500000womenandgirlsinEuropearelivingwithemalegenitalVRONIquEmATHIEuJEANLAmBERTEDITEESTRELAKATARNANEVEDALOVROBERTAANGELILLIMembersotheEuropeanParliamentCounttothree.Whileyoux19redoingthatonemoregirlsomewherearoundtheworldhasbeenorcedintoamarriageagainstherwilltoamanshedidnx19tchoose.Thisisaviolationoherhumanrights.Sadlyitisjustoneomanyviola-tionsgirlsaresubjectedtoeveryday.Ineveryspheregirlsacediscrimi-nationotenbeingorcedtosuerinsilence.Girlsaremorelikelytobedeniedaneducationpushedtothebackothehealthcarequeuesubjectedtoviolenceandintimidationandlettogohun-gry.WeasmembersotheEuropeanParliamentarenotpreparedtoletthiscontinueunchallengedunnoticedorunheard.Tobeagirlisnotacrime.Weshouldspreadthismessageallovertheworldandfghtagainstviolenceinallorms.Letx19sstepupromtheviciouscycleoignoringtherightsothemostvulnerablepartooursociety.WearedeterminedtohelpbreakthesilencewhichiswhyweareproudtocelebratethefrsteverInternationalDayotheGirlChildon11October.Weseethisasanexcellentopportunitytoacknowledgegirlsandinormsocietyworldwideabouttheirrighttolivealieodignity.Thecelebrationothisdayistheresultothepassionandcommitmentomanyindividualsandorganisationsinclud-inggirlsx19themselves.AtEUlevelweworkedcloselywithcivilsocietyx13partic-ularlyPlantheWorldAssociationoGirlGuidesandGirlScoutsandtheEuropeanParliamentaryForumx13andlastyearourellowdeputiesdemonstratedtheirsoli-daritybyadoptingourWrittenDeclara-tionjustdaysbeoretheUnitedNationsGeneralAssemblyofciallydesignated11OctoberastheInternationalDayotheGirlChild.TheEuropeanParliamentisrightlyproudoitsroleasabastionoreedomdemocracyandhumanrightsandwehavesentastrongsignalthatwestandunitedbehindthiscause.mutilationandanestimated180000girlsareatriskaccordingtotheWorldHealthOrganisation.Sinceemalegenitalmuti-lationismostlyperormedonyounggirlsbetweeninancyand15yearsoageitconstitutesaviolationotherightsothechild.TheEuropeanParliamenthasrightlystressedthatall27memberstateshavecommittedthemselvestopro-tectingchildrenx19srightsundertheUNConventionontheRightsotheChild.WehavetoensurethatallrelevantUNorganisationsandbodiesincorporatetheprotectionandpromotionotherightsogirlsnottobesubjectedtoemalegenitalmutilationintotheircountryprogrammes.AstotheemploymentfeldtheEUmustplanandimplementmeasurestoacilitatesatisactoryeducationtrainingandstudiesorgirlsandyoungwomenprovidingparticularsupportorgirlsandyoungwomenwithamigrationback-ground.Improvingtheliteracyogirlsmustbepriorityespeciallyindevelopingcountriesgivenwomenx19simportanceineducatingamilies.TheParliamentisalsoworkingonareportonthephenomenonosexualisationogirls.Thisismaniestedinvariousareassexualisationoprod-uctsorgirlssuchasclothesandtoysinentertainmentorchildrenandadultsmoviesTVinternetmusicpressaswellasinadvertisements.Sexualisa-tionincreasessexismandunderminestheroleowomenwithanimpactontheimageowomenintheproessionalworld.Thedratreportaimstosensi-tisepublicauthoritiesontheissueanddevelopconcretestrategiesagainstthisphenomenon.Thedratreportunderlinesthataseriesointegratedactionsmustbetakeninordertobroadenthehorizonsanddeveloptheoutlooksosmallgirlsandboysinrelationtotheirguidingvaluesbymeansodeliberatestrategiestopro-tectchildrenromtheprocessosexu-alisationandobjectifcationandtocreatenewtoolsandspaceswhereyoungper-sonswillbeabletodevelopanddiscovertheirsexualityatanappropriatetimeandintheirownway.TheEuropeanWeekoActionorGirlsisheldunderthePatronageothePresidentotheEuropeanParliament.Girlsaroundtheworlddeservethisdaytheyandthecontributiontheyarecapa-bleomakingtothewellbeingotheircommunitiesandcountriesdeservetobecelebrated.Theydeservetobeheardandtoberecognisedasthedriversochangetheyareandwillbecome.Forgettingaboutgirlsmeansailingboththemandourselves.Thatisnotwhatinternationaldevelopmentisabout.InsteadtheEUmustinvestingirlsx19uturebecauseweknowthisinvest-mentwillbepaidbackx13withinterest.Insub-SaharanAricaorexampleitx19sestimatedthatasmanyas1.8mil-lionchildrenx19slivescouldhavebeensavedlastyearitheirmothershadreceivedasecondaryeducationwhiletheregionx19sagriculturaloutputcouldbeboostedbyasmuchas25throughgirlsx19education.Weshouldalsocondemninequali-tiesbetweengirlsandboyswhetheratschoolincommonactivitiescareser-vicessportsandinbuildingrelation-ships.TheEUisasignifcantglobalplayerandmustbyitsownactionraiseawarenessochildrenx19srights.Letx19snotorgetthattimesarealsotoughorourowncitizensandwehavearesponsibilitytoensuretheirmoneyisusedwisely.Wehaveanobligationtoensurethevalueoeverycentismaxi-mised.Thereisnobetterinvestmentthaninabetterutureorall.Thatuturestartswithgirls.Girlsx19educationcouldboostsub-SaharanAricax19sagriculturaloutputbyupto25Efaranawayromschoolwhenshewassixyearsoldbecauseshewasterrifedbycorporalpunishment.Now13shehasnotbeentoschoolsince.Todayshemakescakesandsellstheminthemarket.Shesaysx1cIwouldliketheopportunitytogobacktoschool.Idonx19twanttogetmarried.Youhavetodohouseworkandgrindmilleteverymorning.Iwouldlikehelptobeabletoreturntoschool.x1dInternationalDayotheGirlChildgazettegirlsx19rightsTheGirlsRightsGazettehasbeenproducedbyPlanEUOfcewiththefnancialsupportotheUnitedNationsPopulationFundortheEuropeanWeekoActionorGirlstocelebratetheinauguralInternationalDayotheGirlChildon11October2012.IyouwouldlikeurtherinormationaboutthispublicationpleasecontacttheeditoratPlanEUOfceGalerieRavenstein274Bruxelles1000BelgiumTel003225046056Emaillouise.hagendijkplan-international.org.DesignKazimierzKapusniakEmailkm.kapusniakgmail.comCopyrightPlanEUOfce.NopartothispublicationmaybereproducedstoredinaretrivalsystemortransmittedinanyormorbyanymeanswithoutpriorpermissionoPlanEUOfce.PhotoPlanPhotoEuropeanUnion2012EPPhotoPlanFinbarrOx19Reilly