In the framework of the International Girls’ Day, the United Nations System in Costa Rica calls for the protection and empowerment of girls, especially in the face of emergency situations.
With the theme “Empowering Girls: Planning Response and Resilience to Emergencies,” the organization seeks to raise awareness of the situation faced by 1.1 billion girls and boys worldwide, of which:
• 130 million are denied the right to education just because they are women.
• 39,000 girls are victims of forced marriages with adult males, each day.
• 16 million teenagers between 15 and 19 years old and 1 million girls under 15 years old become pregnant, each year.
•Complications during pregnancy and childbirth are the second leading cause of death among girls aged 15 to 19 worldwide.
In the case of Costa Rica, more than one and a half million inhabitants are girls and boys, that is, this group constitutes 30.5% of the population, hence the importance of promoting and protecting their rights, as well as making visible the problems to be faced to establish strategies to eradicate any type of violence or abuse.
From the United Nations System in Costa Rica, we unite to support the country in restoring the basic needs of the populations that have been most affected, and in this particular case, we call to emphasize the needs of girls to guarantee protection and support for them at these critical times, to allow them to increase their resilience,”
said Alice Shackelford, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Costa Rica.
According to data collected by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in 2013, 3491 girls in the country had suffered from sexual violence, putting them in a state of vulnerability.
38% of deliveries of girls and adolescents under the age of 14 did not have a complete prenatal care. In addition, 30% of girls and adolescents under the age of 14 do not state who the father is, while in those under 19, 12% do not state who the father is.