The International Day of the Girl Child is observed every 11 October, a day that the United Nations General Assembly declared in 2011 to recognize girls’ rights and the challenges they face worldwide.
According to global data, 133 million girls are out of school, and adolescent girls aged 15‑19 are less likely than their male peers to be in education, employment or training. Nearly 40 % of adolescent girls and young women do not finish upper secondary school, and almost one in four ever‑married or partnered girls aged 15‑19 has experienced intimate‑partner violence. One‑third of adolescents consider it justified for a husband to hit his wife, and the prevalence of child marriage remains high, especially in sub‑Saharan Africa where 31 % of girls marry before adulthood.
In India, child marriage persists, though various programmes aim to protect the girl child. Mission Shakti, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, UDAAN, NAVYA, the Vigyan Jyoti Scheme and scholarships are among the initiatives that promote education and empowerment. The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 replaced the 1929 Sarda Act and provides a legal framework for girls’ rights. In November 2024 the Ministry of Women and Child Development launched the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign, and by January 2026 2 153 child marriages had been prevented and 60 262 Child Marriage Prohibition Officers appointed nationwide.
UN Secretary‑General António Guterres, in his message for the day, urged that “it’s time to end child marriage once and for all” and called on all to defend every girl’s right to a childhood and to shape her future.
The theme for this year, ‘End child marriage and invest in girls’ rights’, highlights that investing in girls is an investment in sustainable development. Celebrated also on 24 January as National Girl Child Day in India, the day serves as a reminder to empower girls, ensure quality education and work toward a child‑marriage‑free society.
