NGO Statement in support of the Girl Child

August 28, 2001

 

As NGOs acting in support of the girl child, we strongly urge the inclusion of specific situations and challenges faced by girls in the language of the outcome document from the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children.

We recognize that discrimination promotes a self-perpetuating cycle of social and economic exclusion. Whether rooted in race, colour, gender, religion or other factors, it undermines children’s ability to develop to the fullest.

In most societies, the girl child needs special attention and protection, for she is an object of discrimination from birth into adulthood. In extreme situations, fewer girls than boys survive because of harmful attitudes and practices rooted in gender discrimination.  We urge you to make every effort to eliminate all forms of discrimination against the girl child while promoting gender equality and equal access to services, including basic education and training, comprehensive primary and reproductive health care, nutrition and a safe environment.

It is vital that national goals for children include specific mention of girls and targets for reducing disparities, many of which arise from discrimination and form a core violation of the rights of the child. This will help highlight gaps in performance and focus efforts on reducing disparities between girls and boys, bringing attention to the situation of girls, who often remain unseen, undocumented and unnoticed.

We wish to highlight the following areas for consideration by delegates:

Discrimination

Many girl children are not given the chance to survive.  One-child family policies, son-preference, poverty and other factors, both social and cultural, mean that girl children are not selected for birth, are not properly nourished, are not cared for by the family, and are not educated. 

These policies, whether state-sanctioned or not, lead to further disparities for the girl when she is grown.  Many adults, including women, continue this pattern of abuse of girl children.  It has to be eliminated at the root if there is to be progress in the development of countries.  We urge that it be highlighted in the introductory section of the document.  In the paragraph that discusses the role of the family, we urge the inclusion of the language “especially girls” after “children” in the first sentence.

Education

·         We believe that the section on education is one of the stronger sections relative to girls.  However, we ask that the section on education in situations of armed conflict be strengthened.  It is not sufficient that programs to prevent violence and conflict be addressed.  It is also important that there be education to give children skills for their world – especially girls.  We know that in situations of boredom, where there appears to be little hope, people often resort to destructive behaviour.  Rape of girls in refugee camps – by those who are in the camp and by those who should be protecting them – is a serious problem. These programs have to also address the specific needs of teaching girls skills of self-protection.

·         Globalisation and technology are areas where children hold the future.  But it is our experience that gender is a factor in the digital divide, leaving girls behind. This has enormous implication for future gender equality.  We urge you to include language that addresses this disparity between girls and boys in paragraph 17 and to support programs for education and training with a gender perspective. 

·         Special training on standards of behaviour towards children –girls and young women in particular – should be mandatory for:

a.  All international and national personnel, such as peacekeepers, NGO and Refugee/IDP Camp staff with a protection mandate during all phases of conflict or post conflict situations.  Special guidelines and strict enforcement should be put into place against those who take advantage of children, especially those who are most vulnerable.

b. Teachers at primary and secondary levels.  It is a known fact that in some countries up to 50% of school-aged girls who become pregnant have been raped or sexually assaulted by their teachers, in many cases under threat of not passing exams, etc.  In some countries going to school has become a deadly risk for girls because of HIV.

This unethical and criminal behaviour on the part of too many professionals who are supposed to protect children is made worse as a result of HIV and AIDS, as in many countries these people have a higher incidence of infection.

Health

In the section on “Promoting healthy lives” we urge the adoption of strong language supporting girls’ access to high quality, affordable, comprehensive primary and reproductive health care and information. 

·         We urge adoption of the first section, which addresses maternal and neonatal mortality and access to health care, and that special consideration be given to the continuation of medication for HIV and AIDS to mothers well beyond the birth of the child, so that these children will not become orphans. 

·         We are alarmed at the high incidence of such killers as HIV.AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, but for centuries the incidence of maternal and neonatal mortality, which is entirely preventable, has not been as high a priority.  Let’s change that in this document.  Let’s give girls and boys information about their sexuality and urge them to avoid early pregnancy.  That also requires the training of parents and especially men who have sex with girls, whether married to them or not.  Early marriage and childbirth is not healthy or safe for girls.

·         We note that harmful traditional practices listed in the document refer to FGM and early marriage.  These traditions are harmful to girls specifically, and not to the general population of children.

·         We urge you to address specifically the need for better nutrition for girls, as many low birth weight babies can be avoided if girls who are pregnant are better nourished, and if girls who will be pregnant as women are better nourished when they are girls.

·         We also urge you to take a strong position against substance abuse, for we know that girls who use drugs, smoke, or abuse alcohol will have increased health problems later in life.  Such substances lead to low birth-weight babies, sicker parents and children, child abuse, and other situations dangerous for children.  These risky behaviours, promoted in gender-specific advertising and media, are often found to contribute to other broad social and economic problems, including educational dropouts.

Abuse

·         We recommend that the section on abuse and violence be strengthened to specifically address the situation of girls.  Children of both sexes can be abducted and forced to be child soldiers, but only girls face the sexual torture and degradation that comes from

o        Experiencing a first period in such circumstances;

o        Repeated rape, leading to HIV and other sexually transmitted disease

o        Pregnancy and childbirth in risky and unsafe conditions

o        Specific sexual torture of female body parts

·         Girls are also overlooked when it comes to monitoring of human rights abuses.

·         Trafficking and sexual exploitation are the fastest growing “industry” in the world, and both boys and girls are affected by this crime against their human rights.  But there are far more girls and young women affected than boys.  For that reason we urge that the words “especially in girls and women” be added to language addressing trafficking.

·         There should be language that addresses the stigma faced by girls and young women that is associated with any form of sexual abuse – whether it is from being a child soldier, from being raped, from being objects of prostitution, or from being trafficked.  Further abuse from families is even more devastating for girls, often leading to suicide or death.  These unspeakable things that happen to them need to be combated with education for families or the psychological trauma, stigma and shunning will further harm these girls.

·         The document does not discuss the serious problem of incest – a crime committed by family members against both boys and girls.

HIV/AIDS

We recognize that the section on HIV/AIDS comes from the recent UNGASS on that topic, however we wish to note that the input from young people was not included, and that specific paragraphs on gender-related topics were limited to empowerment issues.

·         The section on HIV/AIDS must have specific recognition of the vulnerability of girls.  Every minute 6 young people are infected with HIV, and the vast majority, 67%, are girls.  More than 10 million people ages 15-24 are living with HIV and 50% of all new infections occur in young people.  Girls face particular vulnerability due to their immature bodies that are more likely to tear during sexual activity, making transmission more likely. The response from many governments has been to say that girls should just say no to sex. In most societies girls are expected to be virgins and sexually ignorant, but it is this sexual ignorance that leaves girls vulnerable and heightens their risk of infection.

·         For many girls saying no is not an option.  Early and forced marriages leave many girls unable to negotiate sex, let alone safe sex.  Rape, poverty, trafficking and prostitution give girls little opportunity to negotiate their fate.  Lack of information about reproductive health and lack of affordable, high quality primary and reproductive health care services leave them without options and can ruin their lives. Stigma resulting from identification of having HIV is devastating and can often lead to families murdering their own girls, or shunning them from the family. These situations, that affect many more girls and women than boys and men, make HIV an issue that must be addressed in a manner specific to the needs of girls.

·         Studies done on the effectiveness of treatment and care must be segregated by age and sex to determine their usefulness for girls.  Resources provided for prevention, care and treatment should be allocated to recognize the vulnerability of girls, and the fact that now, this disease affects more girls and women than it does men.  It also affects all future generations of human beings.

Mobilizing resources and Monitoring

1.        In the section on “Mobilizing resources,” we would encourage a specific paragraph to address the needs of girls that are specific to them, and cannot be addressed as being necessary for “all children.”  Many of these are named above. Resources need to be committed to bringing girls to the level of boys, or girls stand the risk of falling behind.

2.        In the section “Follow-up actions and monitoring,” we encourage delegations to set a specific paragraph to monitor the progress made towards guaranteeing the rights of the girl child. Studies need to be gender and age specific. There is great disparity between girls and boys and that must be monitored systematically.  Though this is mentioned in the opening statement, there is no paragraph that addresses this monitoring specifically, and we would encourage that it be added.

 

Finally, we would like to see the statement from the World Youth Forum (Senegal, August 2001), the Youth Caucus statement from the UNGASS on HIV/AIDS and the CSW’s Agreed Conclusions on Women, the girl child and HIV/AIDS referenced at the end of the document.  We applaud the inclusion of references to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, CEDAW and to the other important documents that affect children’ rights and we urge you to keep them prominently in the document.

 

Thank you.

 

Leslie Wright

 

Endorsed by the following organizations:

Ginny Radford, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS)

Jackie Shapiro, Zonta International

Mary Purcell, International Federation of University Women

Clare Nolan, Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd

Marie Elena Dio, The Elizabeth Seton Federation

Joan Kirby, Temple of Understanding

Roberta Ross, International Council of Jewish Women

David Dixon, IPAS

Pat Harrison, International Federation of Business and Professional Women

Ursuline Sisters, Congregation of Tilbank

Kate Katzki, International Council on Social Welfare

Irmeli Torssonen, Soroptimist International

Nadia Shmigel, World Federation of Ukranian Women’s Organizations

Diana Bandy, The Mothers’ Union

La Federation Europeennedes Femmes Actives au Foyer (F.E.F.A.F.)

Veronica Wensing, YWCA Australia

Sharon Altendorf, International Presentation Association of Presentation Sisters

Grace Hygie-Enwerem, NGOWORLD Nigeria

Marie Birkenhed, National Council of Women of Great Britain

Dr. Carole Oglesby, WomenSport International

Philo Morris, Society of Catholic Medical Missionaries

Dr. Joyce Braak, Institute for Research on Women's Health