Supporting the empowerment of young women and girls

World Vision Australia recently joined forces with some of the country’s most influential female campaigners and barrier breakers to highlight the growing global issue of violence against girls. Together, the women kickstarted the 1,000 Voices for 1,000 Girls movement – a rallying cry in response to the alarming surge of girls worldwide being forced into marriage, taken out of school, and placed at increased risk of violence, with the organisation anticipating statistics to rise.

The all-star line-up includes an array of barrier breakers including Michelle Payne, Samantha Harris and Sunday Aryang, and passionate female and child violence campaigners, Pallavi Sharda, Liz Ellis, and Melissa Doyle. In support, they have raised their voice to tell the stories of some of the world’s most vulnerable girls and are encouraging Australians to do the same to help reshape destinies and show a path to where every girl’s voice is heard and celebrated.

Episode 1 | Michelle Payne Raises Her Voice For 1,000 Girls

Episode 2 | Liz Ellis Raises Her Voice For 1,000 Girls

Episode 3 | Samantha Harris Raises Her Voice For 1,000 Girls

Episode 4 | Pallavi Sharda Raises Her Voice For 1,000 Girls

Episode 5 | Melissa Doyle Raises Her Voice For 1,000 Girls

Episode 6 | Sunday Aryang Raises Her Voice For 1,000 Girls

Globally, women have less political representation, less access to education and greater safety risks. They earn lower wages, do more unpaid care work with children or elderly relatives and have limited access to financial opportunities.

When women and girls do not experience equal rights or have equal access to opportunities, their potential as social and economic change-agents remains untapped. Gender inequality is a major barrier to human development and progress toward more democratic societies. This has intergenerational consequences for girls, who face discrimination that begins even before they are born and continues throughout their lifetime.

Protracted crises and conflict often leave girls with limited opportunities for education and parents with few livelihood options. In the absence of education as a pathway, girls are increasingly being pushed into marriage.

Empowering women and girls as key decision-makers and agents of change achieves long-lasting results. When empowered with an understanding of their rights to education, girls can be powerful advocates for themselves and their peers.

Education provides alternative pathways and increased opportunities for girls. Access to safe and empowering education, in an environment where girls receive quality education and life skills training along with critical information about their safety and rights, is an essential part of ending child marriage, including breaking the cycle of poverty that drives it.

Schools are an important source of information about rights, health services and safety – programmes with the primary goal of keeping girls in school have proven to be effective way. Educating girls also has important implications for families and communities. When a girl in the developing world receives seven years of education, she marries four years later and has fewer children.

Increasingly, donor countries are beginning to recognise the need to empower women and girls for sustainable development, stronger economies, more peaceful nations, and more equitable systems. World Vision believes that a world without all forms of violence against children – including the elimination of child marriage – is possible and a necessity. Investment in ending child marriage has a ripple effect, empowering girls and women, as well as building stronger communities, societies, and economies.

Each year, 12 million girls are married before they turn 18; that’s 22 girls every minute whose childhood, dreams and education are cut short. Unless we accelerate action, 110 million more girls will become child brides by 2030 and progress made in the past twenty years will be lost.

Every girl deserves access to inclusive, safe, and child-friendly primary and secondary education, to live free from violence and exploitation.