Since October 11 was declared International Day of the Girl, Manos Unidas has been committed to protecting the human rights of more than 600 million girls and adolescents ages 10 to 19 around the world.
A group of girls smiles at the camera. | Photo: Iciar de la Peña – Manos Unidas – Guatemala.
In order to alleviate the injustice suffered by so many minors, the… organization has committed almost 2.5 million euros to projects aimed at improving the living conditions of these girls in various regions of Asia, Africa and the Americas. These projects cover different areas such as: Access to health (with programs that focus on girls’ hygiene and ensuring a safe and healthy environment); Quality of education (with programs in elementary schools) and socio-economic strengthening (Financial Education), among others.
“To reduce the huge inequality gap that still separates men and women – especially in southern countries – it is necessary to guarantee girls access to quality education from a young age,” he shares. María José Hernando, from the Studies Department of Manos Unidas.
A girl holds a bag provided by Manos Unidas. | Photo: Bird Heals – Manos Unidas – India.
And currently One in five girls still does not complete the first cycle of secondary school and almost four in ten do not complete the second cycle. The digital divide is also wide. Around 90% of adolescent girls and young women in low-income countries do not use the Internet, while their male peers are twice as likely to access the Internet.
For HernandoA woman trained since childhood will have more opportunities to navigate the digital world confidently, and this will also enable more and more women to become agents of change in their families, in their communities and in their countries.
“Women and girls become more aware of their rights and can demand these for themselves and other women in their environment.” explained.
Other projects concern the Prevention of violence against women and girlsand ensuring their access to justice in cases of violence. AND Work is underway to combat human trafficking and child marriageThey fight to ensure that girls do not have to become mothers at an early age.
Some girls are playing on the other side of a fence. | Photo: Patricia Garrido – Manos Unidas.
The numbers are alarming: one in four girls between the ages of 15 and 19 have suffered physical or sexual violence from their partner at least once in their life. Teenage pregnancy is a leading cause of death among adolescents. As if that wasn’t enough, 7.1 million girls are forced into child labor, especially domestic work.
Protecting the rights of girls in Peru
A girl eats a cookie. | Photo: Marta Carreño – Manos Unidas – Colombia.
The joint effort between United hands and your local partner, Amauthasee the light with him Project of regional human rights training schools for youth in Cuzco, Peru.
The main goal of this program is to strengthen the leadership and empowerment skills of youth in this Andean region so that they can challenge and overcome the patriarchal system and fight for their rights with freedom and autonomy. It was implemented in six provinces: Paucartambo, Quispicanchi, decal, Urubamba, Anta And Cusco. A total of 48 young people have registered for the first campaign, 42 of whom are actively participating.
The majority of participants are bilingual (with their native language Quechua) and live in rural communities. The age is between 12 and 17 years.
The training covers topics such as the history of Women’s rightsCitizenship and democracy, political participation, gender-based violence prevention, and advocacy and speaker skills, among others.
There is no doubt that the girls of today will be the adults of tomorrow. Let us protect your rights. Addressing all of these issues is urgent and essential to ensure that girls have equal opportunities, access to quality education and a safe and healthy childhood.