It’s your Day!

Today is the first annual International Day of the Girl Child, proclaimed by the UN. Questions that I’ve heard being asked include: Why girls? Is it possible we’re giving too much attention to girls and boys suffer for it? Isn’t “equal rights” a passe issue? Girls in the West are spoiled, isn’t it true that the last thing they need is more “awareness”?

Looking at the statistics provide some easy answers. Like, 55% of the world population are women (and yet females are considered a “minority,” that is, do not claim or have the benefits of a “majority” of the voice or representation at decision making tables). Or 70% of the world’s poor are female while just 1% own titled land. In America, you might be tempted say, “Phew. Not the case here.” While we have made great strides in this country, remember that according to Forbes, women in the US earn $0.77 for every dollar their male coworkers make. Here is the most remarkable statistic. This one’s going to blow your mind, so you might want to sit down: women have 100% of the babies. (I just researched that and it’s totally true.)

I gotta be honest: having this discussion makes me really uncomfortable. Because… I can’t believe we are still needing to have it! No one benefits from the oppression of women, not even the oppressors. No.One.

As to the notion that girls are already spoiled, I urge you to take a look at the word “spoiled.” In the US, we use that word like it’s a good thing, as in a child has more than she needs, or we’re too lenient with girls’ wishes and demands. But here’s a brief rundown of the word “spoil” from my trusty Thesaurus: mar, damage, impair, blemish, disfigure, blight, flaw, deface, scar, injure, harm; ruin, destroy, wreck; be a blot on the landscape. ANTONYMS improve, enhance. I would have to agree, that sadly, we are on the road to spoiling our girls by insisting that their chief contribution is being cute, sexy or attractive window dressing (sometimes it’s a bonus if she’s smart. Wow, with looks and smarts, she could go pretty far. Let’s hope she doesn’t gain weight if she has a baby or gets wrinkles, though!).

This ignorance includes not realizing how this affects boys. Boys’ and men’s relationship to their mothers, sisters, relatives, friends, and spouses can damaged by looking, as the Bible says, only “on the outward appearance (I Sam. 16:7).”  This is the most immoral and impractical way we can possibly regard someone. There is a danger to judging someone based on how they look. It is how disdain blooms into rage and violence, which are often the natural course of dehumanization.

So, today the purpose of the International Day of the Girl is “to speak out against gender bias and advocate for girls’ rights everywhere.” Stand up for a girl–yourself if you are one or a loved one–start in your own thinking. Challenge yourself to appreciate girls for their qualities. Make an agreement with yourself that you will compliment a girl based on her attributes and characteristics. Instead of, “You look adorable,” try: “I loved seeing you on the soccer field. You have a great attitude that is a wonderful example for your teammates. Way to be a leader!”

To me, International Day of the Girl is about a worldwide mental shift. Your thoughts matter. How you think and how you treat people matters. As journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, authors of Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide confirm, “the oppression of women and girls worldwide is the defining issue of our time.” Yes, I write fiction; but I know that the stories we tell matter and fiction for me is just the vehicle in which important messages are delivered. The messages I continue to cherish are “believe in yourself and the greater good” and “friends are forever.” I long to see opportunities for girls because I know that we all benefit; if just one sentence or word I write inspires a girl or boy (or an adult, for that matter) to think in a fresh, empathetic direction, I am thrilled!

Today and every day, there are practical and fun ways you can participate in Day of the Girl:

Celebrate Day of the Girl Summit at 7 pm Eastern.
Read the State Department’s commitment to raising the status of girl worldwide here.
Today, join a twitter chat 1:00 Eastern time and help make #Dayofthegirl trend on Twitter to raise media awareness.

Visit these sites regularly (starting today):

Day of the Girl  – speak out against gender bias and advocate for girls’ rights everywhere.

Newmoon Girls – where girls connect & support each other while creating poetry, artwork, stories, videos, and more.

Pigtail Pals – redefining girly, reclaiming boyhood.

Half the Sky – turning oppression into opportunity worldwide.

Spark Summit – girl-fueled activist movement to demand an end to the sexualization of women and girls in media.

Annnnnndddd….announcing the grand opening today of online store Toward the Stars, the world’s marketplace for empowering gifts for girls (which of course, features Petalwink!). Put your money where your mouth is and support companies that are doing it right.

Happy surfing, happy thinking it through, happy speaking up…and happy Day of the Girl!

I’d love to hear in the comments section below what you are doing to celebrate Day of the Girl