Message from Ms Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Child

教科文组织总干事奥德蕾·阿祖莱国际女童日致辞

11 October 2022

2022年10月11日

  Ten years since the first International Day of the Girl Child, the world is celebrating the many ways in which girls are transforming how we live, learn, communicate and create.

  在首个“国际女童日”十年之后，全世界都在称颂女童给我们的生活、学习、交流和创造方式所带来的诸多改变。

  Over the last decade, girls have made their mark by standing up for what they believe in, values such as education for all, climate justice and peace. They have taken a stand against discrimination, fighting the systemic inequalities that divide our societies.

  在过去的十年里，女童们通过捍卫她们所信奉的全民教育、气候正义与和平等价值观，引起世人瞩目。她们对歧视采取反对立场，并与造成社会割裂的系统性不平等作斗争。

  And these efforts have paid off: the gender gap in access to education has reached close to zero globally, although regional disparities persist. According to UNESCO data, the proportion of girls completing primary school has increased nearly 20 percentage points in the last 25 years.

  而且这些努力已经取得成效：在全球受教育情况方面，尽管地区差异仍然存在，但性别差距已接近于零。教科文组织数据显示，在过去25年里，小学毕业生中女童占比增加了近20个百分点。

  If we want this progress to continue, we must maintain our efforts, especially in light of the long-term impact of COVID-19. The pandemic has increased risks to girls’ education, with lockdowns contributing to a decrease in girls returning to school. School closures could lead to an additional 10 million early marriages of girls over the next 10 years.

  要想在这方面继续取得进展，我们就必须再接再厉，特别是鉴于COVID-19的长期影响。疫情已然加剧女童教育所面临的风险，封锁管控措施也导致女童返校人数减少。而闭校停课现象则可能会导致未来10年内女童早婚人数再增加1000万。

  We must therefore give girls the tools they need to succeed – and create an environment that allows them to do so.

  因此，我们必须为女童提供走向成功所需的工具，并营造有利环境使她们切实走向成功。

  First of all, this means developing appropriate public policies. UNESCO provides policy expertise to all the countries that desire it, building on our unique tool “Her Atlas”, which analyses data on girls’ and women’s education from 196 countries worldwide.

  首先，这意味着要制定适当的公共政策。教科文组织凭借其对全世界196个国家女童和妇女教育数据进行分析的独特工具“女童和妇女受教育权交互地图”（Her Atlas），向所有对此有需要的国家提供政策方面的专门知识。

  Second, this means fighting the underlying causes of school dropouts, in particular early and unintended pregnancies. UNESCO’s “Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future” programme, has raised awareness of these issues among over 30 million girls and women in more than 30 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

  其次，这意味着要解决辍学背后的深层次原因，特别是早孕和意外怀孕。在教科文组织“我们的权利，我们的生活，我们的未来”计划的努力下，撒哈拉以南非洲30多个国家中3000多万名女童和妇女对这些问题的认识已得到提高。

  Third, this means ensuring that girls are able to pursue careers in the field of their choice. The UNESCO Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education is an opportunity in this regard. This year’s laureates are empowering girls in vulnerable contexts with life skills to help them overcome discrimination, thrive in secondary schooling and become leaders in their communities. These practices are a source of inspiration, and offer proof that girls’ education is a force for equality and lasting change.

  此外，这也意味着要确保女童能够在其所选择的领域追求职业发展。教科文组织“女童和妇女教育奖”在这方面提供了机会。今年的获奖者正在努力增强处境脆弱女童的权能，向她们传授生活技能，帮助她们克服歧视，在中学阶段茁壮成长，并成为社区领袖。这些实践既富有启发性，同时也证明女童教育在实现平等和持久变革方面发挥着重要促进作用。

  The time for this change is now. In the wake of the Transforming Education Summit, convened by the United Nations Secretary-General in September 2022, we have a unique opportunity to break down the barriers that impede students’ full participation in educationthrough bold and ambitious action, matched with adequate resources.

  实现这一变革的时机已经到来。在联合国秘书长于2022年9月召开教育变革峰会之后，我们将迎来一个难得的机会，可借以采取果敢而雄心勃勃的行动并配以充足资源，为学生充分参与教育破除障碍。

  On the International Day of the Girl Child, and every day, join UNESCO in celebrating, championing and accompanying girls on their journey. To quote UNESCO’s newest Goodwill Ambassador, 17-year-old Xueli Abbing, “People might say you can’t do things, but you can – just try.”

  值此“国际女童日”，以及在这之外的每一天，请与教科文组织一道，鼓励、支持并陪伴女童一路前行。用教科文组织新任亲善大使、17岁的雪丽·艾宾（Xueli Abbing）的话来说：“别人可能会说你不行，但是你能行，只管去尝试。”

来源：UNESCO