Ten years ago, on the first International Day of the Girl, the United States joined nations around the world in recognizing the challenges girls face and working to expand opportunity and equality for them in all parts of the world. Today, on this 10th anniversary, we know that when girls are empowered to dream big and reach their full potential, the possibilities for our world are limitless. From fighting the climate crisis and standing up for human rights to fighting for equal access to education, healthcare and opportunity, girls everywhere strengthen democracies, fuel economies and enrich communities.
Despite their dynamic potential, on this day we must also recognize that great challenges remain for girls in the United States and around the world. Hunger, homelessness and lack of access to adequate health care and education threaten their health and well-being and make it difficult for them to participate fully and equitably in society.
Both at home and abroad, gender-based violence threatens their security – from child sexual abuse and exploitation to female genital cutting and child marriage. The direct and indirect effects of gender-based violence and the impact it has on girls’ potential and opportunities reaffirm our commitment to building a world where all people can live free from violence or intimidation.
For this reason, my government has prioritized opening up opportunities and providing all girls with full justice and dignity. At home, we advocate for equal access to education, equal pay and access to jobs and professional training so that when girls grow up they can choose their own path and lead the workforce of the future. We are taking action to expand girls’ access to health care, which is critical to their success. I’m committed to tackling gender-based violence wherever it occurs – online, at school, at work or at home – which is why I’m proud to have re-approved and strengthened the Violence Against Women Act. And by supporting LGBTQI+ rights in this nation, I affirm that everyone deserves respect, protection and belonging.
My government’s commitment to girls’ empowerment extends beyond our borders. The United States supports equal access to health care by providing life-saving HIV treatments to more than 19 million people worldwide. In the past year alone we have reached over two million adolescent girls and young women. We are committed to improving access to education and learning for 15 million girls and young women by 2025. And we are committed to ending the scourge of gender-based violence around the world—particularly in conflict zones, in humanitarian and refugee contexts, and in the aftermath of natural disasters that expose women and girls to different vulnerabilities.
My administration is also investing in education and programs to improve the economic security of women and girls around the world, including through a $50 million commitment to the World Bank’s Global Childcare Incentive Fund and a $200 million request to Congress Provide for the Gender Equity and Equality Action Fund Support for women’s economic empowerment. I will continue to stand up for women and girls around the world, including in Iran, where brave young women are demonstrating to secure their basic rights, and I have called on Congress to double funding for programs that advance gender equality around the world .
When girls break barriers, they pave the way for generations to come. Investing in their health, safety, education and economic security brings us closer to building fairer, more equal societies and thriving democracies. It helps us develop leaders across industries and build a strong workforce ready to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future. Together we can prepare the next dreamers and doers to create a new and better future for all of us.
THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, hereby proclaim October 11, 2022 as International Day of the Girl. I call on the people of America to mark this day with programs, ceremonies, and activities that promote equality and opportunity for girls everywhere.
IN WITNESS WHICH I have posited my hand on this eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-two, and the independence of the United States of America, the two hundred and forty-seventh.
JOSEPH R BIDEN JR
