Today Save the Children celebrates International Women’s Day (IWD) which recognizes the achievements of women, and the advances that have been made in guaranteeing the equal human rights of women and girls. This day also serves as an important reminder that although progress has been made, there is still much to be done in closing gender gaps and creating equitable, positive and sustainable change for women and girls. With a theme for 2016 of gender parity, Save the Children will spotlight for IWD two priority areas for the closing of gender gaps: the issues of decent and equitable livelihoods opportunities for girls and women, and Child and Early Forced Marriage (CEFM).

Livelihoods

During adolescence girls often have very little opportunity to build economic skills and support themselves and their families; yet it is widely observed that where there is greater gender equality there are lower rates of poverty, stronger economic growth, better health outcomes and a higher overall standard of living.

Save the Children’s Children Lead the Way (CLW) program – run in five countries in Latin America and Africa – is designed to provide working boys and girls with access to learning opportunities and educational information about their rights, to equip them with skills that will enable them to cope with the demands of life both now and as they grow into adults. Through its recent Photovoice project, CLW participants used photography to provide a window into their lives and specifically into the gender equality issues they witness impacting their daily lives and livelihoods. Both boys and girls as enablers of change at family and community levels then became active voices in generating solutions to these problems.

Child and Early Forced Marriage

Promoting gender equality is at the heart of Save the Children’s Child, Early and Forced Marriage portfolio. One CEFM project based in Somalia aims for enhanced governmental capacity to develop and enforce frameworks that prevent early marriage, as well as to empower girls and women, in partnership with boys and men, through the delivery of gender-sensitive training and services. Key to the success of the project is the leadership role that Women’s Lobby Groups play to promote gender equality and address CEFM at the community level.

“On this International Women’s Day, Save the Children recognizes that equality of girls and women is not only a moral obligation, it is the foundation of a successful society,” said Patricia Erb, President and CEO of Save the Children Canada. “Girls and women need equal access to livelihood prospects, this is a key step not only in gender equality but in breaking the cycle of poverty and in enabling and sustaining a successful economic marketplace. They need control over their futures and to be decision-makers in the paths their lives follow. Our work on the prevention of Early and Child Forced Marriage is important in supporting women and girls to be empowered, active citizens and ensure their voices are heard.”“As the world’s leading independent organization for children, Save the Children is committed to ensuring children realize the rights to which they are entitled. Our vision is a world where every child equally attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. On this International Women’s Day we recognize the changes the world has made so far, while also reaffirming our commitment to creating breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and ensuring equality for all.”