By Aislinn Doyle | Development and Volunteer Relations Coordinator
October 11th is International Day of the Girl Child, a day that aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls' empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights. We have marked the day every year since the day was established by the UN in 2012, and it is an incredible day for the Mariposas to celebrate how far they’ve come and also share with the world the injustices they face.
Unfortunately, like many places in the world, the Dominican Republic has a high prevalence of gender based and sexual violence. This, combined with the worst public education system in the region, makes working towards a better future especially difficult for girls. The Dominican Republic ranks extremely high in adolescent pregnancy and child marriage in Latin America and the Caribbean, with over 40% of girls becoming teenage mothers and 36% of girls marrying before 18. The overall unemployment rate in the DR is 14%, but is 42% for young women, and women make 44% less than men for equal work. Poverty leads many girls to marry to improve their economic situation, which leaves them vulnerable to abuse and abandonment. These statistic are ominous, but the Mariposa girls are changing the tide.
At the Mariposa DR Foundation, we love celebrating the world’s most powerful force for change and each year on International Day of the Girl we celebrate what it means to be a young, educated and determined girl striving towards her goals! Through film, theatrical productions, creative projects and female empowerment, Mariposas are engaged in thoughtful discussions surrounding the many challenges girls face, such as access to education, early pregnancy, and violence in their homes and community. We are so proud of these young women for breaking down barriers to fight for their dreams!
As we finalize our to Day of the Girl celebration preparations we wanted to take a moment to say thank you. You believe that unleashing the leader in a girl is an important investment and we could not do it without your support. Thank you. And Happy International Day of the Girl!
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