11 – 15 October, 2022
Every year on October 11, the International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC) is noted to honor the rights of girls and the specific challenges they face around the world. The IDGC was established by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 66/170, and is recognized as a key global moment to highlight the strength of girls and bring awareness to the unique difficulties they encounter. The United Nations declared “Our Time is now – our rights, our future” as the theme for 2022.
Jcycn calendar always places a high priority on celebration of IDGC. On the occasion of the 10th IDGC in 2022, Jcycn organized various National and local level events in collaboration with multiple stakeholders and girls from various background.
As the National level, “The Girl’s Takeover” event was organized in close cooperation with Plan International, CZOP, National CFLG Forum, National Coalition for Girls Rights, KANALLAN, and so on. 12 young girls were provided with the opportunity to take over the leadership of 12 civil society organizations symbolizing “Equal Power Now.”
Ms. Archana Sharma, Ms. Saruna Tharu and Ms. Bandhana Thing Tamang took over the position of the head of Jcycn, National CFLG Forum and National Coalition for Girls Rights respectively and handed over the memorandum with call for action to the representatives of each of these organizations including Ms. Radha Dhakal, Vice-President of Jcycn, Ms. Prava Shrestha, representative of NCGR and Mr. Ashok Khanal, Coordinator of NCFLG Forum. Similar events were also conducted in different organizations like CZOP, Consortium, NCRC, GNI, Girls not brides and SPCSN.
The present girls’ representatives raised concerns like prioritization of political rights of girls and adolescents in programs, plans, and policies, the development of inclusive plans as per diversity of girls and adolescents, girls’ friendly institutions, equity and equality. Gender-based violence is one of the most burning issues of today. Girls face the highest risk of sexual exploitation – with 72% of detected victims being girls, and many more remaining in the shadows. Stating that the government has fallen behind in effective Implementation of the constitutional and legal provisions for the protection and promotion of girls’ rights, to improve girls’ access to education, health care, and justice, as well as to safeguard against abuse of the internet based on child marriage, sexual violence, rape, acid attack, and menstruation, the representatives requested for effective interventions from all spheres. “I think most of the girls out there in the world that don’t have access to basic rights, and it drives me forward in the empowerment of girls,” said 16-year-old Saruna Tharu. The acting president, Ms. Sharma, also cut a ceremonial cake at the event. Mr. Tilottam Paudel, president of Jcycn, participated virtually and offered a few more words of wisdom.
Similarly, the Peer educators mobilized by Jcycn in Nawalpur celebrated IDGC event by hosting a discussion against online violence in their neighborhoods and schools on 11th of October, 2022. The program was led by peer educators Sabnam Sunar, Yutika Tiwari, and Mansu Neupane.
Similarly, Jcycn jointly with Jagriti Child Club Nepal, Nawalpur Girls Network, The Garden of Hope Foundation, National Youth Council, NCFLGF, SDG Studio, Justice Ventures International, Rotaract Nawalpur, SPCSN, KANALLAN and Youth for Change in Nepal organized celebratory event at Kawasoti Municipality on October 15, 2022 with the presence of 80 participants. The program was oriented by Mr. Deepak Sharma, general secretary of JCYCN. Mr. Sharma stressed that girls are regularly the victims of violence, abuse, and exploitation, and urged the stakeholders to pay attention on these serious issues.
Speaking in the program, the Deputy Mayor of Kawasoti Municipality, Ms. Fulkumari Thanet, mentioned that everyone must be responsible of protecting girls’ rights and pledged to dedicate herself to the protection and development of girls’ rights. Likewise, the girls participating in the program expressed their commitment by displaying flyers with various messages such as unity against child marriage, access to equal opportunities, education and health rights, equal participation in sexual and reproductive health rights, ending child labor, and so on. The peer educators showcased cultural dance, songs, and poetry recitation.
The program was concluded by signing the commitment by all the participants including each public representative, social activists, and civil society organizations, with recommendations for girls to raise their voice and fulfill their duties and responsibilities to establish the girl’s rights. Ms. Mansu Neupane, mentioned that “gender equality and transformation have been culturally entrenched in and connected to our roots, every time a member of a community suffers, we all suffer. “The knowledge and an understanding of the importance of girls’ rights of the participants were enhanced at the end of the discussion motivating them to play their role in eliminating unwanted stigma, and related discrimination in their communities.
The peer educators of Jcycn have been actively participating in the various event virtually organized by “The Garden of Hope Foundation” to discuss girls’ rights issues from various countries on various important topics such as: gender equality, focus of key opinion leaders in social media, sexual harassment, violence and discrimination towards sexual and gender diversity. Annually, the Garden of Hope provides the girls receive the unique opportunity to participate in the Asian Girls Awards. The former peer educator Rejina Gharti Magar has participated for the Human Rights Award along with our peer educators Sabnam Sunar, Sashi Chettri, Aashika Pokhrel, Mansu Neupane, Bimaya Nepali and Alina Rasaili for the changemakers team award in 2022.
In particular, IDGC is highly important to establish the recognition of girl’s rights, to identify the sensitive and distinctive challenges faced by girls around the world, to promote girl child rights around the world, to protect the girl child, to end all forms of discrimination against the girl child, and to address illiteracy, bad traditions, violence, rape, child marriage, poverty, as well as other issues relevant to girls. Girls have the potential to change the world as empowered girls today and as workers, mothers, mentors, entrepreneurs, and leaders of tomorrow. Effectively reaching out to girl child and youth is the most effective way to create and leave an impact.
Jcycn has been Implementing Girls’ Empowerment Program in Nawalpur in support of KANALLAN for the past five years, in addition to working on girls’ empowerment through Asian Girls Campaign together with ‘The Garden of Hope Foundation’ since 2013.

Prepared by
Jagriti Child and Youth Concern Nepal
Sanepa, Nayabato