International Women's Day
International Women’s Day this year takes place against a backdrop of unprecedented ideological attacks, the erosion and reversal of hard-won rights around the world and severe defunding of critical work, making efforts to advocate for girls’ rights more important than ever before.
Without urgent action, global gender equality could be worse in 2030 than when the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were agreed in 2015. Today’s girls' risk having fewer rights than their mothers and, in some cases, even their grandmothers.
Over recent years, globally, we have seen the regression of rights in several areas which directly impact the lives of children and young people, especially girls. Examples include lowering the age of legal child marriage, restricting access to education, health care and the banning of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education.
This negative shift is not incidental – it is part of a deliberate effort by a growing anti-rights movement, which uses divisive narratives to polarise the public and maintain patriarchal norms and power structures. Anti-rights groups are focusing their pushback on key issues that are at the core of girls' rights.
Here are five crucial girls’ rights at risk without urgent action:
- A girls' right to education
- The right to a life free of violence
- The right to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)
- The right to life and a healthy environment
- The right to participate in society
A girls' right to education
Globally, 122 million girls remain out of school, often due to domestic work, child marriage and harmful gender norms that undervalue their education. Even for girls in school, discrimination, harassment, inadequate resources and gender-biased environments limit their potential and opportunities.
The combination of being young and female, along with restricted access to quality education, places girls at a significant disadvantage, with lifelong consequences for their opportunities and well-being. Funding has been critical to efforts to increase the number of girls in education worldwide and must not be threatened.
The right to a life free of violence
Globally, over half of children experience violence, with girls disproportionately affected. Annually, 60 million girls face sexual assault in schools, and 1 in 4 adolescent girls (aged 15– 19) report experiencing physical or sexual violence from partners. Online harassment impacts more than half of adolescent girls, with 90% of child abuse material victims being girls.
Girls with intersecting identities - those living with disabilities, from racial or ethnic minority backgrounds, or those identifying as LGBTQIA+ - face heightened risks both online and offline. Anti-rights movements pose further challenges by replacing gender-based concepts with sex-based terminology while actively restricting references to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC).
Harmful social norms and gender stereotypes are often the root causes of violence against children. By promoting and reinforcing them, anti-rights actors are not only perpetuating inequality but also strengthening the very legal and social systems that enable and justify this violence. Coordinated global action is essential in dismantling these systems and ensuring safe, inclusive environments for girls and women.
The right to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)
Adolescents aged 10-19 represent a pivotal age group for promoting well-being, health, and development, yet 1.2 million die each year from preventable health-related causes. Despite progress over the past 20 years in maternal health, HIV prevention, treatment and care, and contraceptive use, many SRHR issues remain stagnant or are regressing.
Globally, pregnancy and childbirth complications are the leading cause of death for girls aged 15-19, with risks doubling for pregnancies before age 15. In low-resource settings, 23 million girls aged 15– 19 lack access to modern contraceptives, and 4 million undergo unsafe abortions annually. Gender inequality and the undervaluation of girls disproportionately exposes them to violations of their rights often denying them of their autonomy and the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.
The right to life and a healthy environment
Girls experience crises differently to other demographics and are often exposed to heightened risks of violence and exploitation due to their age and gender. Yet, policymakers and the humanitarian community often overlook adolescent girls, and exclude them from decisions that directly affect their lives.
Girls’ unique needs frequently fall through the gaps of programs designed for all children or women, leaving critical issues unaddressed. This neglect has devastating consequences for their well-being, especially in prolonged crisis settings. The climate crisis impacts everyone, but girls are often the hardest hit. For example, girls are frequently the last to eat when food becomes scarce, gender-based violence tends to rise during disasters, and child marriage often increases when resources are limited.
Over one billion children remain at extreme risk from the climate crisis, which not only hinders development but also exacerbates humanitarian crises globally. Anti-rights movements increasingly target climate change discourse and policies, framing them as threats to economic growth, dismissing scientific consensus, and propagating misinformation. This pushback leads to climate inaction which disproportionately impacts adolescent girls, exacerbating existing inequalities, and preventing them from accessing key services like SRHR education and access.
The right to participate in society
Globally, children and young people, especially girls and young women, face significant challenges in realising their right to freely express their views and participate in civic and political processes. They are often dismissed as too immature for political involvement or stigmatised as potential disruptors, rather than recognised as capable leaders and drivers of positive change.
Human rights defenders, particularly girls and young women, are increasingly impacted by a political landscape that offers fewer opportunities for their advocacy and input. According to Plan International’s State of the World’s Girls report (2023), 61% of girls and young women involved in activism reported facing negative consequences because of their advocacy work. Among them, 27% were deterred by negative views from their communities and families.
Young women continue to bear the impact of historical exclusion, and encounter barriers to accessing political spaces. These include entrenched societal expectations about what girls can and cannot do, an underrepresentation in leadership roles, and the persistent risk of discrimination and harassment. Young people, who are often at the forefront of feminist movements, employ protests to make their voices heard however they’re at a heightened risk of crackdowns and restrictive laws. This is most clearly seen by the targeting of youth-led gatherings advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights, feminism, and other progressive causes.
We must push for gender equality.
Girls’ rights are universal. Regardless of where a girl is born or lives, she should be safe, free from abuse, and be able to fully realise her rights. Gender equality benefits everyone and a world where all people have access to the same rights, opportunities and outcomes would be a fairer, safer, healthier, more sustainable, and more prosperous place for everyone.
Plan International Australia stands in solidarity with girls and women in all their diversities around the world whose rights are under threat. We advocate for all children, adolescents and youth everywhere, including and especially girls, who are so often marginalised and overlooked.
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