This Thursday, October 11, we will be celebrating the International Day of the Girl. Declared by the United Nations in 2012, it recognises girls’ rights and promote empowerment; whilst simultaneously highlighting the unique challenges they face. And girls face many challenges - one in three women and girls experience violence in their lifetime. That is one too many. Worldwide, 750 million women and girls alive today were married before their 18th birthday, which often results in early pregnancy and social isolation, and limits their opportunities to participate in daily life activities.

This year’s theme is “With Her: A Skilled GirlForce,” which aims to bring attention to girls’ needs and opportunities to acquire skills and education to prepare them for employability.

There are 1.1 billion girls in the world, most of whom face gender discrimination throughout their lives. Around 600 million adolescent girls will enter the workforce in the next decade, but many are not learning skills that will prepare them to transition from school to work, secure decent jobs, and pursue aspiring careers.

Despite the relative freedom and opportunities that girls have here in Hong Kong compared to many places around the world, they still face significant barriers to achieving full equality. A study on Hong Kong’s STEM education reveals persistent gender stereotyping that discourages girls from choosing and staying in STEM fields. Meanwhile, the objectification of women prevalent in the media has been linked to eating disorders, self-esteem issues for girls, violence against women and girls, and, ultimately, the erosion of female ambition. When young women enter the workforce, they face equally formidable challenges such as pay inequality, unconscious biases, and a lack of family friendly policies, making their career ascents difficult.

One of the key pillars that runs throughout TWF’s work is challenging gender stereotypes. For example, in our documentary She Objects, we call on the media and the public to reflect on the negative impact of women’s portrayal in the media. Our Girls Go Tech Programme seeks to inspire girls to consider STEM as viable academic and career options while our T.E.E.N. Programme for boys and girls focuses on challenging gender stereotypes and strives to educate participants on gender equality. To listen to one of our TEEN’s stories and how the Programme helped her overcome gender-related challenges, listen to last week’s interview on RTHK with TWF Senior Manager Jill Chung and TWF TEEN Alumna Icy Chow.

Let’s work to keep fighting gender discrimination and stereotypes at home, in schools, in public and at work. Together, we can create a formidable force of girl power, empowered to boldly pursue their dreams and ambitions.