These are just a few standout facts about girls from around the world.
- “Less than two cents of every development dollar goes to programs specifically for girls, particularly those ages 10-14.[i]”
- “On average, 90% of girls who spend less than 14 hours on housework attend school, but only 70% of those who spend 28 hours or more per week on household chores do so.[ii]”
- “82 million girls in developing countries between the ages of 10 and 17 will be married before their 18th birthday.[iii]”
- “Although girls between the ages of 10-19 account for 10%[iv] of all births worldwide, they account for 23% of the overall burden of disease (disability- adjusted life years) due to pregnancy and childbirth.[v]”
- “Preventing gender-based violence and improving young women’s economic independence from older men are imperative in the effort to protect women and girls from HIV.[vi] Young women who are in relationships with men at least 5 years older than them have a higher risk of HIV infection.[vii]”
[i] “Why Girls”. The Nike Foundation 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2011 from <http://www.nikefoundation.org/why_girls.html>.
[ii] “The World’s Women 2010: Trends and Statistics”. The United Nations Statistics Division 2010. Retrieved from <http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/Worldswomen/WW2010pub.htm>.
[iii] “Promoting Gender Equality: The Gender Dimensions of the AIDS Epidemic”. UNFPA 2009. Retrieved from <http://vwww.unfpa.org/gender/aids.htm>.
[iv] “State of the World’s Children 2010”. UNICEF November 2009 pp. 91. Retrieved 17 March 2011 from <http://www.unicef.org/sowc2011/pdfs/Table-1-Basic-Indicators_02092011.pdf>.
[v] “Why is giving special attention to adolescents important for achieving Millennium Development Goal 5?” World Health Organization 2008. Retrieved 28 March 2011 from <http://www.who.int/making_pregnancy_safer/events/2008/mdg5/adolescent_preg.pdf>.
[vi] “Global Report 2010”. UNAIDS 2010. Retrieved 21 March 2011 from <http://www.unaids.org/globalreport/documents/20101123_GlobalReport_full_en.pdf>.
[vii] “Global Report 2010”. UNAIDS 2010. Retrieved 21 March 2011 from <http://www.unaids.org/globalreport/documents/20101123_GlobalReport_full_en.pdf>.