- Girls and adolescents point out that machismo is the main obstacle to exercising their rights.
- The rate of violence against girls and female adolescents is growing; in Mexico, 7 disappearances and 11 femicides are reported per day.
- Girls and adolescents demand the states more spaces for participation, public policies to prevent violence and access to education.
On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly, through resolution 66/170, established to remember October 11 as the International Day of the Girl. This initiative arose as a result of the high levels of inequality, discrimination and violence that girls experience due to their gender and age status.
In this sense, with the aim of making visible the challenges that girls face, the initiative Weaving Childhood Nets in Latin America and the Caribbean, as part of the #NiñezPrimero strategy, carried out the webinar: How to be a powerful girl? within the framework of the International Day of the Girl [1]
This dialogue was developed with the presence of girls and female adolescents, representatives of movements, groups and social organizations from different countries in the region, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay and Venezuela.
In the session, the panelists spoke about the obstacles that girls face when demanding the fulfillment of their rights, such as machismo, the lack of spaces for participation, the absence of public policies to prevent violence, access to education and poverty.
Angie Marcela, representative of the Peace Management Movement, Colombia, explained that machismo is a practice that invalidates the rights of girls and prevents them from developing freely; For this reason, she stressed the need to promote spaces for participation where girls can express their opinions and empower themselves in their rights. "Being a girl is complicated, we live in a macho society (...) we girls suffer every day and nobody knows what we are living through many things, education, health, work."
On this, Camila, representative of the Collective #EvaluationJusta, Mexico pointed out that there is a growing number of girls and adolescent women who are victims of violence; and I regret that the date, the state has implemented public prevention policies. “Being a girl in Mexico is difficult, all the time they die, they kill them, they steal them. The world is bad, they don't take care of us, as a woman or a girl, there is always the fear of going out into the street and something happening to you; by the simple fact of being a woman you run the risk of being raped ”.
In this regard, the Coordinator of the #TejiendoRedesInfancia Initiative in Latin America and the Caribbean, Juan Martín Pérez García, added that in Mexico, there are 7 disappearances and 11 femicides per day, in most cases girls or adolescents. "If you are a girl or adolescent between the ages of 15 and 17, you are 30% more likely to be a victim of disappearance, femicide or homicide."
In this sense, Lucía, representative of the Paraguayan Childhood for Equality Movement, emphasized that education is the main tool to promote respect and fulfillment of the rights of girls and adolescent women; Therefore, they demanded to promote more training spaces, promote education with a gender perspective and provide more information on their rights. "Respect is not an award or a merit, respect is a right and unfortunately we have to demand it in order to have it".
Finally, Oriana, a Venezuelan teenager, added that dialogue at home also allows promoting gender equality and building a society that is more respectful of the rights of girls and women; for this reason he reflected: "Many people within the family circle put up barriers and limit the role of women (...) the environment of a woman or a girl unfolds is very complex."
Situation of girls and adolescents in the world, Latin America and the Caribbean.
United Nations report reveals that 1 in 4 girls between 15 and 19 years old is not employed or studying or receiving training, about 435 million women and girls will live with less than $1.90 a day in 2021, 47 million will be pushed into poverty as a result of COVID-19, 1 in 3 women worldwide have suffered physical or sexual violence, while 60% of countries continue to discriminate against daughters' rights to inherit land and property in legislation or in practice. [1]
On the situation of girls in the world, a report by the United Nations Funding-UNFPA, reveals that 200 million women and girls who live are affected by female genital mutilation, each day there are 33,000 child marriages worldwide . [two]
Regarding the situation in Latin America and the Caribbean, there are 62 births per 1,000 adolescents between 15-19 years old, 4 out of 10 girls between 15 and 19 years old, have experienced some type of violence, 1 in 4 young women married Before turning 18, 1.1 million adolescent girls aged 15-19 have experienced sexual violence or any other forced sexual act (including from childhood) [3]
Watch the full video here:
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[1] UN / Communiqué
[2] UNFPA Report / State of World Population 2020 / Against my will: Challenging practices that harm women and girls and impede equality.
[3] UNICEF / Children in Latin America and the Caribbean
Press contact: Verónica Morales / [email protected]
About:
#NiñezPrimero is a strategy that provides guidance for the care of children and adolescents in emergency situations.
Weaving Childhood Nets, is a project co-financed by the European Union that seeks to contribute to the strengthening and consolidation of a platform for the defense of children and adolescents in 19 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of Children's Rights Mexico AC. / #TejiendoRedesInfancia and in no case should it consider that it reflects the views of the European Union.