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4THURSDAY11OCTOBER2012GIRLSx19RIGHTSGAZETTEInternationalDayotheGirlChildCarolineromKiberawhoattendstheKambuiSchoolortheDeaKenyaEverydayshouldbetheDayoftheGirlCATHERINEASHTONHighRepresentativeotheUnionorForeignAairsandSecurityPolicyVicePresidentotheEuropeanCommissionIam.requentlyremindedthatevery-thingIdoasEUHighRepresentative.orForeignA..airsandSecurityPolicyLuISAFENuInternationalDisabilityandDevelopmentConsortiumIn2011theWorldHealthOrganisa-tionandtheWorldBankpublishedtheWorldReportonDisabilitywhichstatesthatonebillionpeopleworldwidehavesome.ormo.dis-ability.About50percento.theseareassumedtobewomenandgirlswithdisabilities.Girlsandwomenwithdisabilities.acemanybarriersparticularlyindevelopingcountries.Thecycleo.povertyandimpairmento.tenleadsto.urthermarginalisa-tionasscarceresourcesareusuallynotspentona.amilymemberwithamICHELLEBACHELETUNWomenExecutiveDirectorAllo.usatUNWomenaresoexcitedaboutthisx1rstInternationalDayo.theGirlChild.Weareexcitedbecausegirlshaverightsthatneedtoberespected.Girlsdemandequalrightsequalopportunityandequalparticipation.Weallarebornequal.Yettodaytoomanygirlssu..ersexualabuseandviolence.Some32milliongirlsarenotinprimaryschool.Toomanygirlsaremarriedwhiletheyarestillchildren.Andtoomanyadolescentgirlsaredeniedtheirrighttosexualandreproductivehealthin.ormationandservices.Girlsaroundtheworldwanttheirvoicestobeheardandtheywanttheirrightstobepromotedandprotected.Researchshowsthatinvestingingirlsisoneo.thebestinvestmentstoreducepovertyimprovehealthandeducationstandardsandadvanceequality.Weneedtolearn.romgirlsandsupporttheircourageandcreativity.Whengirlscannotreachtheirpotentialthisisalosstoallo.us.Aslongasgirlscon-tinueto.aceviolenceanddiscrimina-tionaslongasgirlsaremarriedagainsta..ectstheliveso.girls.IseethiseverytimeImeetpeoplestrugglingagainstdauntingoddstogivetheir.amiliesadecentli.einGazaorHaitiorSomaliaorremotevillagesinChinaorIndia.Iamshockedbutnotsurprisedbystatis-ticsthatshowthatwomenmakeuptwothirdso.theworldx19spoorandchildrendisability.Frequentlyinvisibleandthussub-jecttoviolenceandabusewomenwithdisabilitiesarealsomorepronetoexperienceviolenceandabusewhenoutandabout.Accesstoedu-cationcanbehamperedbyalacko.accessibletransportationandschoolbuildingsbutalsothreatso.violenceandabuseenroutetoschool.Thepro-tectiono.womenandgirlswithdis-abilitieswasamajorthemediscussedattheTreatynegotiationswhichledtothecreationo.theConventionontheRightso.PersonswithDisabili-tiesCRPD.Womenandgirlswithdisabilitiesarere.erencedthroughouttheCRPDwithArticlesixspecix1-cally.ocusingongirlsandwomenx19srights.TheCRPDwasadoptedbytheUNGeneralAssemblyin2006andisnowratix1edby119countriesmanyo.whicharedevelopingcountries.TheEUinstitutionsthere.orehaveamajorroletoplayinx1ghtingagainsttheviolationo.girlsx19andwomenx19srightsandensuringtheirprotectionandinclusion.TheEUx19sconclusiono.theCRPDin2011andtheadoptiono.theEUDisabilityStrategyshouldensurethatrelevantEUlegislationpaysparticularattentiontotherightsandneedso.womenandgirlsbothinEuropeandbeyond.TheEUshouldalsoensureitpromotestherightsandneedso.womenandgirlswithdis-abilitiesinbilateralandmultilateraldialogueswithpartnercountriestoguaranteetheir.ullparticipationinclusionandempowerment.makeuponethirdo.theworldx19spop-ulation.Yetitisasadrealitythatthediscriminationthatgirlso.ten.acedoesnotreceivetheattentionitdeserves.Ihavemadeastrongcommitmenttobothchildrenx19srightsandgenderequal-ityandIamproudtohelpcelebratethex1rsteverInternationalDayo.theGirlChild.Weknowthepowerthatcanbeunleashedbyinvestingingirls.Everyextrayearagirlspendsatschoolsislikelytoimproveherhealthandresultinsmaller.amiliesgreaterincome.orher.amilyandaneconomicboost.eltbyhercommunityandhernation.Wearegettingclosetoachievinggen-derparityinprimaryschoolsbut.artoomanygirlsthendropoutratherthangotosecondaryschool.Weneedtocon-centrateonwhatisholdinggirlsback.ThatiswhyIstronglysupportUNWomen.Iwantittobeproperlysup-portedand.unded.IwasdelightedtosignanagreementwithMichelleBach-elettoallowgreaterEU-UNWomencooperation.TheEuropeanExternalActionSer-vicewhichIheadisalsopursuingspecix1cinitiativestox1ghttheharm.ultraditionalpracticesthatarebarrierstogirlssuchasearlyand.orcedmarriageand.emalegenitalmutilation.IndeedIhavelong.oughttoendthescandalo.earlyand.orcedmarriages.AsaUKgovernmentministerbe.orejoiningtheEUIsecuredanewlawbanning.orcedmarriagesinBritainx13includ-ingbanningpeople.romtakingBritishgirlsabroadtoenterinto.orcedmar-riages.IwasdelightedtosupportPlanx19scampaignatlastyearx19sCommonwealthSummitwhichagreedtopushthisimportantissuehigheruptheCom-monwealthx19sagenda.Oneinthreegirlsinthedevelopingworldismarriedbytheageo.18.Oneinsevenmarriesbe.oretheyreach15.Marriedyounggirlsareo.tentakenouto.schoolandareatahigherrisko.HIVin.ectionearlypregnancyanddisease.Insomecountriesx13suchasNigerChadMaliandBangladeshx13therateo.earlyand.orcedmarriageis60percentorevenmore.Itisterriblestatisticthatonethousandgirlsdieeverydaymostlyinthepoorworldinchildbirth.Whatshouldbeoneo.thehappiestdayso.theirlivesis.ormanythemostdangerous.Eveni.ateen-agersurviveschildbirthherchildrenarelesslikelytobehealthyandgotoschoolcontinuingthecycleo.poverty.orgenerationstocome.Thesolutionliesinaddressingtherootcauseso.povertyandsocial.ra-gilityaswellasintroducingnewlawsagainstearlymarriageandprogrammesthatencourage.amiliestochooseedu-cation.ortheirgirlsovermarriage.Thisisnotanovernightprojectbutalonger-termcommitmenttochangewhatinsomecasesarelong-establishedpractices.Itisimportantwork.Followingthemomentouseventso.thex18ArabAwakeningx19Ihavemadesurethattheactiveinvolvemento.womeninNorthA.ricansocietiesateveryleveliscentraltotheEUx19spolicyinthatregion.TheEUnowworksinEgyptLibyaandjointlywithUNWomeninTuni-siatoadvancetherightso.girlsandwomen.Weare.undingprogrammesinninecountriesspecix1callytoimple-mentgendercommitmentssuchascombattingoneo.thegreathiddenscourgeso.somanycountriesrichandpoordomesticviolenceagainstwomen.A45mprogrammeongenderequalitywasapprovedlastyearinMorocco.orwomenandmentoinfuencedevelop-mentprogrammesandpoliciesequally.Ensuringthatgirls.eelrespectedandvaluedinsocietyisthex1rststeptobreakingdowndiscriminatorybarriersandinbuildingmoreprosperoussoci-eties.ormenandwomenalike.IhopethattheInternationalDayo.theGirlChildwillbeanopportunitynotonlytohighlightthechallenges.acedbygirlsaroundtheworldbutalsoamomenttocelebratetheiraccomplishmentsandtheirpotential.PhotoTheCouncilotheEuropeanUnionPhotoCBMargumEinbergerPhotoUNWomenKarimSelmaouiWhataboutgirlswithdisabilitiesStandingtogethertodayandtomorrowCatherineAshtonx1cEnsuringgirlseelrespectedandvaluedinsocietyisthefrststeptobreakingdowndiscriminatorybarriersx1dUNWomenExecutiveDirectorMichelleBacheletvisitsHighSchoolinRabatMoroccoWhengirlscannotreachtheirpotentialthisisalosstoallofustheirwillaschildbridesaslongasgirlsaredeprivedo.theirvoiceandtheirchoicesaslongasgirlsarerobbedo.theirhopesanddreamsdeniedtheirpotentialUNWomenwillstandbesidethem.Wewillstandbesidegirlstosup-porttheirrights.Wewillworkwithgovernmentsandallourpartnerstoenactlawstoadoptpoliciesandtodesignprogrammesthatprotectgirlsx19rightsandadvancetheireducationhealthandwell-being.Pro-grammesthatshouldbethere.orgirlstolivetheirdreams.ortheir.uture.Weembracegirlsasequalpartners.Letusworktogethertoadvancegenderequality.Equalityissmart.Equalitymakes.orhealthy.amiliesandcom-munitiesandmakesnationsstronger.Letuswork.oraworldwhereeverygirlandwomancanlive.reeo..earviolenceanddiscrimination.Todayandeverydayletx19smakelast-ingprogresssothatgirlstodaytomor-rowand.orgenerationstocomecanlivethe.uturetheywant.