Reality Zone with Vicky Wireko: International Day of the Girl, shaping today’s girl for tomorrow’s future – ZONTA Clubs lead the way

Sunday, October 11, marks International Day of the Girl, a day dedicated by the United Nations to highlight the rights of girls around the world. This day is significant as it aligns with the 2030 Agenda's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to eradicate poverty, protect the planet, and uphold human rights globally.

Among these goals, SDG 5, dedicated to gender equality and women's empowerment, calls for the elimination of harmful practices such as child marriage, a practice that disproportionately affects girls. According to UNFPA and UNICEF data, there were 2.2 million child brides in Ghana in 2021, with 19% of girls marrying before the age of 18, a figure lower than the regional average of 37%.

While this is a step in the right direction, it is still not enough to meet the goal of ending child marriage by 2030. Zonta International, a global organization working across 65 countries, is actively involved in this fight. For International Day of the Girl, Zonta International has chosen to focus on ending child marriage, as it is a critical issue that threatens girls' rights to education, health, safety, and equal opportunities.

Zonta Clubs in Ghana, including Zonta Clubs of Accra, Tema, Accra II, Accra Metropolitan, and Accra Jubilee, are working tirelessly to promote these causes. They advocate for stronger laws against underage marriage and the introduction of more incentives to help girls complete their education. As the world celebrates International Day of the Girl, Zonta Ghana urges all stakeholders to join hands and pledge their support to end child marriage and accelerate progress toward achieving SDG 5 by 2030.