International day of the girl

Rebecca standing outside smiling at camera with out of focus trees behind her

What is International Day of The Girl?

International Day of the Girl is a key global moment to celebrate girls in all their diversity. Because the talent, ideas and strength of girls have the power to change the world.

Taking place every year on 11 October, it's also a time to rally together. To highlight what holds girls back and commit to doing something about it. Not just for #DayOfTheGirl – but all year round. So that all girls, no matter who or where they are, get the chance to thrive.

Why International Day of the Girl is important

1290m

girls are out of school worldwide.

250%

of girls experience violence before hitting adulthood.

120M

girls are forced to marry every single year.

International Day of the Girl 2025

Think the world is good enough for girls? Think again.

On this Day of the Girl, girls’ hard-won rights are under attack. Every day, everywhere.

But we won’t stop now. The plan is still on. To guard what’s been won and demand what’s still missing. Until we are all equal.

Hear from girls defending their rights and learn more about how we're marking this year's International Day of the Girl.

The Plan Is Still On

Eunice, 18, stands in a field in Mozambique. She is passionate about defending the rights of girls

Eunice, 18, is passionate about defending the rights of girls in Mozambique.

Origins of International Day of The Girl

International Women’s Day and the International Day of the Child have existed for many years. But, neither focus on the specific challenges girls faced by girls. Challenges such as being discriminated against simply for being both young and female.

Plan International led the global campaign to create a dedicated day for girls. We worked closely with girls who saw the chance for an international day to inspire real, global action for their rights. Through their stories, voices and ideas, it became clear that such a day would shine a spotlight on their underrepresentation in global development efforts. It would highlight the urgent need to promote gender equality.

We built a strong coalition to support this effort and our call was taken all the way to the United Nations. With the backing of the Canadian government, this led to the official adoption of International Day of the Girl.