International Day of the Girl Child 2020

Today we mark the International Day of the Girl Child – an important day to recognize girls' rights and the challenges facing them across the world. I am honored to be part of this important event and to speak on behalf of the European Union.

Empowerment of women and girls is a key priority for the European Union. We will continue our joint efforts until every girl have gotten the opportunities she deserves. Nothing should keep girls from participating fully in all areas of life.

Under this year's theme, "My Voice, Our Equal Future", let's seize the opportunity to be inspired by the voice, vision and solutions of adolescent girls to drive progress towards a gender equal world.

All girls should have the capacity to be able speak up and be heard. Today, girls in an increasing number are taking the lead in creating a world that is relevant for them and future generations – as entrepreneurs, innovators and initiators of global movements. Today, girls are speaking up and out for equality.

Let me give some examples. In Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai, advocates for female education and is the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. She has played a crucial role in promoting and highlighting the importance of education for girls as a basic human right.

In Sweden, the climate activist Greta Thunberg continues to demand global action on climate change while concurrently proving that one young girl's persistency and diligence can influence international leaders and organizations.

In Uganda, the young activists of the Fridays4Future movement, many of them girls, have become an important role models for young Ugandans through their work as climate activists and their devotion to save the climate has already received international recognition.

And last but not the least we want to acknowledge the work done by the late Esther Nakajjigo, an internationally well-known young Ugandan activist who passed away in an accident in the US earlier this year. She was a dedicated champion for women and girls and opened Princess Diana Health Centre, located in Muyonyo, serving poor communities in the neighborhood.

These young girls demonstrate the power that girls worldwide possess and embody. It gives us all hope.

The scale of the COVID-19 pandemic affects girls and young women in all aspects of their daily lives. All pre-existing inequalities are made worse by COVID-19, with an increased rate of teenage pregnancies and limitations in access to Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights services and information for youth. Being at home has shown an increased risk of violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect for the girls. Early-childhood marriage is also on the rise as poverty caused by the pandemic has forced families to marry off their daughters to help alleviate financial burdens.

There exist close relationships between child marriage, teen pregnancy, and the low level of education reached by large numbers of girls. Both child marriage and early childbearing force girls to drop out of school. This mean, and let us be clear, that these girls have not just been robbed of their childhood but also of a future that could have been very different. Reports show that girls who wait to marry and have children, are more likely to complete their education and earn more later in life. Ending child marriage could also increase their participation in the labor force and therefore improve the standard of living and reduce poverty. Keeping girls in school is key for gender equality. After the COVID-19 lockdown and the re-opening of the schools, it is indeed important that the girls will be able to return to schools in a safe and inclusive way.

The work to prevent sexual and gender-based violence is at the heart of European Union's human rights and development priorities in Uganda.

The Spotlight Initiative – the global partnership between the United Nations and the European Union – aims at eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls. In Uganda, the Spotlight Initiative is piloting innovations and scale-up evidence-based models to comprehensively address violence against women and girls. The Initiative is a confirmation that gender equality and women empowerment remain a top priority for the European Union.

At the same time, there is growing acknowledgement and evidence that the approach of empowering women and girls alone will not have the desired and necessary effects of creating greater gender equality. Men and boys must be involved. To exclude or not include men to a sufficient extent would impede efforts to make any real, sustainable improvement to the rights and opportunities of girls and women.

In Uganda, numerous strategies and policies reflect the government's commitment to strengthen the rights of girls. Among other, The Gender in Education Policy 2017, The Uganda National Youth Policy, The National Sexuality Education Framework and The National Strategy to End Child Marriage and Teenage Pregnancy all aim to address various forms of discrimination and violence facing girls. Now, we must direct our focus toward implementation in order to effectively tackle the challenges and harmful gender beliefs and norms that for too long has deprived girls of their true rights.

The roll-out of the National Sexuality Education Framework, needs to start. This is essential not only to the girls but also to boys to equip themselves with knowledge and information to better understand themselves, make informed choices in life and contribute to lasting positive changes in society.

The European Union would also like to see a strong commitment from the Government of Uganda to finalizing and implementing the National Policy for SRHR, the School Health Policy, sexuality education guidelines for out-of-school youth and the National Adolescent Health Policy that are all long overdue and have strong focus on the youth, especially the girls.

Investing in girls is investing in a better future that is equal for all – for girls themselves, for their families and for the communities they are part of. I would like to encourage us all to join hands in this cause. Let us collaborate so that we, together, can maximize women's and girls' potential, rights and opportunities. Change is possible. Change can happen if we have a vision, courage and the will to act. You can count on the European Union to support this endeavor until each and every girl's voice is heard, and she will be able to pursue her dreams.

Thank you!