October 11 marks the International Day of the Girl Child “to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world,” according to the day’s website. The following summarizes several opinion pieces written in recognition of the day.

• Victoria Dunning, Huffington Post’s “Global Motherhood” blog: “[T]oo many girls are out of school, are living in poverty, are married young and are not safe from harassment, discrimination and violence. It is not only a matter of injustice, but also of economics and opportunities,” Dunning, executive vice president of the Global Fund for Children, writes. She discusses the activities of the fund and concludes, “We trust these girls to lead us just as they trust us to understand their potential to lift themselves and others out of poverty. As nations look to the future, let’s ensure that not only are girls included, but that they are leading the way” (10/10).
• John Kluge, Huffington Post’s “Social Entrepreneurship” blog: “Today, the large majority of microloans go to women, for very pragmatic reasons” — such as “women tend to make financial decisions that benefit their children and extended families,” Kluge, co-founder and chief disruption officer of Toilet Hackers, writes, adding, “As we mark the second International Day of the Girl on October 11, I’m calling for a similar recognition of the power and potential of girls, enlisting them in our mission to bring safe, sustainable sanitation to the billions who live without it.” He discusses several Toilet Hackers initiatives meant to empower girls, and he concludes, “At Toilet Hackers, we want all girls, and all women, to have a chance to live and thrive, to change the world for those around them” (10/10).
• James Whiting, Huffington Post U.K.’s “Women” blog: “Although there are more obvious girl-specific barriers, in much of Africa malaria is one of the greatest single obstacles to the fulfillment of a girl’s potential — and one of the cheapest to remedy,” Whiting, executive director of Malaria No More U.K., writes. He discusses the importance of education and the success of the campaign to end malaria. “If we can defeat malaria, it will have such a knock-on effect on education, on the economy of the family — and entire countries,” he states, concluding, “[T]he drive to defeat malaria has positive knock-on effects. For mums, for girls, for everyone” (10/11).