Breaking Stereotypes on Girl Child Day in Mexico
Mexico's 18.9 million girls and adolescents face gender discrimination, violence, child marriage, and stereotypes. On International Day of the Girl Child, it's crucial to empower them, break stereotypes, and protect their rights through education, opportunities, and policy changes.
In Mexico, nearly 18.9 million adolescent girls and women under the age of 18 represent 15 percent of the national population. This demographic, while substantial, is often overlooked when it comes to public policy and protection. To truly honor the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the first binding international treaty, and the General Law on the Rights of Children and Adolescents, approved in Mexico in 2014. More must be done to safeguard the rights and future of young girls.
Pedro Daniel Martínez Sierra, an academic at the National School of Social Work at UNAM, acknowledges that there has been progress in recognizing and respecting the fundamental rights of Mexican girls and adolescents. However, these efforts are insufficient given the myriad challenges they continue to face.
