It’ll take 131 years for the world to achieve gender equality. That’s five whole generations of girls held back from reaching their true potential.

That’s why this International Day of the Girl, we’re celebrating the power of girls to ignite change and beat the clock for a more equal world. Learn how 12 tireless young women, like Sanmya, Natsumi, Useaking and Poria (above, from left), are taking action to make gender inequality a thing of the past.

Marked annually on October 11, this global moment puts a spotlight on girls’ power and potential and the unique barriers they face. We call on everyone to raise awareness and take action for girls’ equality.

We rally with girls everywhere, and we won’t stop until we are all equal.

Our latest global research on girls’ rights

Turning the world around: Girl and young women activists leading the fight for equality

Plan International’s 2023 State of the World’s Girls Report reveals unique insights from girls and young women about the challenges they face when campaigning for change. This global study draws from the experiences of a thousand participants in 26 countries, including Canada. The report sheds light on both the barriers that girls face and also the motivation behind the transformative impact they make around the world.

Read the full report

Voices for change: A study of activism among young women in Canada

To supplement the global “Turning the world around” report, this new survey sheds light on the challenges that young women activists in Canada face, such as safety concerns when engaging in activism, including harassment, trolling, bullying, and physical violence.

Explore the findings

State of the World’s Girls Report: Equal Power Now

Girls and young women worldwide consistently feel excluded from politics, according to Plan International’s 2022 global survey of 29,000 girls from 29 countries, including Canada. The research found that they face significant barriers when taking part in political activities and feel poorly represented by the politicians elected to serve them.

Read the full report

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Realizing every girl’s right to flourish: A review of progress on the 10th anniversary of the International Day of the Girl

Girls around the world continue to face considerable human rights violations, with little change from 10 years ago, according to Plan International’s report published on the 10th annual International Day of the Girl.

Read the full report

State of the World’s Girls Report: Free to Be Online?

Plan International spoke to 14,000 girls in 22 countries around the world, ages 15 to 24, and more than half have been harassed and abused on social media. The most common negative effects of online harassment are lower self-esteem, loss of confidence, mental or emotional stress and problems at school.

Read the full report

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Get involved

Everyone can be part of the movement to support girls’ rights. Here are a few ways to make an impact.

Girls Belong Here

Plan International Canada’s long-standing Girls Belong Here program is part of a global movement to amplify girls’ voices, advocate for their rights and elevate their position in society.

Since 2016, we’ve connected almost 200 girl changemakers with meaningful professional development opportunities to demonstrate that young women belong at all levels of leadership and that they have a right to equal opportunity in all sectors.

Learn more
Girls outside a school

Youth Opportunities

We work with young people between the ages of 14 and 24 to help them build leadership skills, become advocates for girls’ equality and harness their power as global citizens. We offer various programs and resources for young people to explore social issues and become effective changemakers.

If you are or know of a young person interested in creating a positive difference in the world, join us!

Explore the programs
A group of new moms who participated in the Healthy Women and Girls project in Mozambique.

Game for Girls’ Equality

Team up with us on our Game for Girls’ Equality online initiative, “Mission: Beat the Clock.” We’re inviting content creators to host a live stream on Twitch, YouTube or Facebook between October 11 and 13, 2023, to drive awareness and funds for girls’ empowerment and to create safe and inclusive spaces for girl changemakers.

Join the mission
Game for Girls’ Equality

Take action for girls’ equality

Here are three simple things you can do to beat the clock and shorten the time it will take to achieve gender equality.

Stay informed

Equality by 2154?
Girls deserve better.

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Spread the word

Ready to say NO to five more generations of inequality?

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Get involved

At this rate, it’ll take 131 years for girls to enjoy equal rights.

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Watch Alisha Aslam, a Girls Belong Here Youth Ambassador, discuss her activism work and the latest findings from the State of the World’s Girls Report with Plan International Canada’s newest Celebrated Ambassador, Farah Nasser, of Global National News.

 

Which girls' rights activist are you? Find out with our interactive quiz!

The International Day of the Girl, marked annually on October 11, is a key global moment to celebrate the inherent power of girls and raise awareness of the unique barriers they face. Plan International Canada led a successful two-year campaign that rallied thousands of supporters across the country and the Canadian government to create this special day for girls at the United Nations. The first International Day of the Girl was celebrated in 2012.

This #DayOfTheGirl, join the conversation with @PlanCanada and follow the hashtags #GirlsBelongHere and #BeatTheClock.