The International Day of the Girl Child is held on the 11^th of October every year, amplifying the voices and rights of girls everywhere.

This year under the theme, “My Voice, My Equal Future” reimagines a better world inspired and led by adolescent girls who will become women one day. This is the day set aside to raise awareness about the gender-based challenges that “the female child” faces around the world. Violence against women and girls is one of the lesser-discussed but significant issues in today’s society and on this day they voice their anguish, demanding a future free of gender-based violence.    

Unfortunately, violence against women is a hidden global crisis that transcends geographical boundaries and is addressed less effectively by cultural norms. However, poor and helpless women are very likely to experience various forms of violence at the hands of their husbands, partners, or even their parents.

The global approximation of such people who have experienced some form of violence is 35%. It is estimated that over one billion women worldwide are subjected to this adversity. Furthermore, 71% of human trafficking victims are women and girls, with girls constituting 75% of trafficked children.

Violence against women and girls takes various forms, including domestic violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, online or digital violence, and child marriages (child brides). Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse or intimate partner violence, is any type of behavior used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner.

Justifications for such acts of violence are typically given by emphasizing physical, sexual, emotional, economic, and psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person, with poverty being the primary and most common cause.

Girls are more likely to be child brides nowadays, and as a result, drop out of school and face other forms of violence. Approximately 650 million women alive today were married as children. More than one-third of those girls married before the age of 15.

Violence against women and girls is a violation of human rights, and it has an immediate and long-term physical, sexual, and mental impact on victims, leading to a painful death in some cases. Lockdown Consequences: Isolation, mental stress, and financial difficulties have all contributed to an increase in domestic violence, exposing women and girls to other forms of violence ranging from child marriage to online sexual harassment.

What is sad and tragic is that violence and abuse against girls and women have increased prominently in the midst of the pandemic that is engulfing the world.

Every woman and girl should be able to live their lives in safety and without fear of violence. We have a huge responsibility to society and to ourselves to protect each other’s human rights, whether at home, in society, or at our workplaces, in order to ensure society’s well-being while maintaining peace and justice.

All girls should have access to a good education and the freedom to pursue the life and career of their dreams. No one has the authority to deprive her of the basic human rights that all human beings are entitled to. Women bring a unique set of skills, abilities, energy, and creativity to the table. Therefore, it is critical that they receive proper education in order to improve their skills and discover their strengths.

As a mother, sister, beloved partner, employer, employee, or coworker, they are capable of giving tenfold back to society. Girls’ education must be made compulsory so that women can become literate in order to make a life for themselves, to become independent from their parents and, later, from their partners. We can empower women by ending child marriage and providing them with a good education. Equal access and participation for women in education, society, the economy, and politics is essential. Their participation in society should allow them to exercise their freedom of choice.

Women’s empowerment contributes to the reduction of domestic violence by promoting and emphasizing the fact that women should be respected and valued in society. It is about encouraging women to feel strong and giving them the confidence and motivation to pursue their dreams. Many characters have set an example by achieving greater heights in their career perspectives, inspiring thousands of women who have yet to realize their full potential in their country and around the world.

We, the Public Relations Committee of the Rotaract Club of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, launched “Someone’s Daughter Vol. 04” with the goal of empowering women, as we raise awareness of violence against women in society. On this International Day of the Girl Child, we are taking a step to appreciate girls around the globe for their struggles in becoming strong women through a week of appreciation that they most obviously deserve. We invite you to join us in our efforts to raise awareness about violence against women and girls.

Let us all unite in saying “No!” to violence! It is past time for us to open our hearts and minds to recognize the true worth of women in our society and in our lives. They are the true pillars of a robust society.

As Rotaractors, let us stand up to violence against women in their lifetimes in order to promote a healthy and happier society with a rich culture in which women are valued and given opportunities to thrive as individuals.

Written by Rtr. Nethmi Sasangika