International Day of the Girl Child, October 11, is a UN-declared international observance day to support greater opportunities for girls and awareness of gender discrimination they endure worldwide.
This October, girls from Plan India’s communities will step into the shoes of influential leaders and change-makers across the country and walk the proverbial mile in a series of takeovers.
Together with a host of multi-sectoral partners, the takeovers will make girls more visible and drive new opportunities for action and investment in them. This will go a long way towards our girls’ rights movement: to ensure girls everywhere learn, lead, decide and thrive.
Why Takeovers?
Takeovers can help raise awareness, begin a meaningful process with stakeholders and create lasting change. In other words, we hope to:
- Celebrate the power and potential of girls with the world on a global day dedicated to girls
- Partner with key decision makers and influential target groups, partners and stakeholders so they can support our movement for girls’ rights
- Engage young people through a meaningful and empowering process
Click here to download report of ‘Girls Takeovers’ across India
Click here to download report on ‘Girls’ Takeovers’ of Embassies and High Commissions
Click here to view images of ‘Girls’ Takeovers’ of Embassies and High Commissions
Click here to view images of ‘Girls’ Takeovers’ across India
International Day of the Girl in the News
http://www.womensweb.in/2017/10/when-girlstakeover-nothing-is-impossible-to-do
International Day of the Girl – Over the Years
Since 2012, Plan India has always placed a big emphasis on International Day of the Girls and bringing forth new and innovating ideas and activities to highlight the day.
Last year saw new, global action for the International Day of the Girl, focused on supporting girls and young women to take leadership roles in political, economic and social spaces that impacted the realities of their lives. It directly confronted the gendered nature of power relations, and challenged perceptions around what is possible for girls in terms of leadership and decision making.
To sensitise the masses towards the ever growing cause of girls and commemorate the day, in 2012 Plan India lit up key monuments in Delhi (Qutub Minar, Humayun’s Tomb, Old Fort or Purana Quila) and Hyderabad (Char Minar) in pink. Through the illumination, Plan sent a nationwide message that all of us need to join hands together to support the cause and the campaign.
Plan India also organised a ‘Because I am a Girl Rock Concert’ at Chitrakoot ground, Andheri in Mumbai in 2012. The concert was aimed at drawing the attention of masses towards the cause of girls as part of the first ever ‘International Day of the Girl Child’ celebrations. The concert helped raise awareness and advocated for improving the lives of girls through education, protection, skill building and empowerment.
Indian film industry’s biggest superstar, Amitabh Bachchan celebrated his birthday on October 11 with a special Art Show for ‘Because I am a Girl’ campaign in 2012.
Across India, girls from our communities will:
- Officiate as Ambassadors of High Commissions and Embassies
- Take over officiating positions in government departments
- Be a radio jockey or co-anchor for a popular radio show
- Preside as sarpanchs of village panchayats
- Be a principal at a prestigious school
In 2016, girls from our community took over as traffic police in New Delhi. 120 girls from our communities stepped into the roles of traffic policemen and manned traffic in New Delhi, namely, Mandi House, Windsor Circle, Baba Kharak Singh Marg and Rajpathintersections. The initiative was jointly hosted by Plan India, European Union and Delhi Traffic Police.