I don’t stand with girls today! I will stand with them until all the girls of the world will get equal access to education, politics, economy, etc.

October 11 is set as International Day of the Girl Child since 2011, when the United Nations general assembly voted to set aside October 11, as a day to honor girls and work to improve their lives.

So, we have a day to turn attention from the routine, where:

1. Female babies are more aborted than male because the society created stereotypes that society needs men more than women. It has an explanation! By attributing feelings such as being soft and fragile; and skills to develop professions such as hairdressers, teachers, secretaries, etc. and by taking away from professions which are historically male-dominated, such as science, technology, engineering and maths, normally that would seem insignificant to the eye of recruiters and leaders who globally are men.
2. Girls have less chance of being educated than boys. So they should start to help their mothers and sisters in crafts and householding. If they are not satisfied with crafts and householding, they can not study because they didn’t have the opportunity to attend elementary school. Moreover, they can not work without a diploma or training certificates in this system, so they have to they must comply with the fate determined by brother, father, uncle and all this patriarchal society.
3. Regarding to UNFPA, in developing countries one in every three girls is married before reaching age 18 and one in nine is married under age 15[i]. In this way, they risk their health and limit their social roles only being “a mother”, “a wife” and a “housewife”.
4. Men dominate in parliament and laws, policies and programs still discussed among men. It’s inherent to people to see the world by our eye, our experiences and our affiliation. So men can not have the same perspective on gender equality and the same concerns as all women to gender issues.

October 11, is a day for spreading awareness and sharing inspiration to find more effective methods in achieving gender equality by collaborating with women. By raising awareness in men an boys on one side, and supporting women and girls on the other side, men can contribute in society where boy is helped by girl and together they develop their countries.

Facebook asked me to stand with girls today, but I refused.

I don’t stand with girls today!

I will stand with them until all the girls of the world will get equal access to education, politics, economy, etc.

Written by Arbëresha Maloku

[i] http://www.unfpa.org/child-marriage