Malala Yousafzai has brought an incredible amount of attention to the power of adolescent girls. She has been an inspiration to many, myself included. As we celebrate Malala's courage, it is important to remember the 250 million girls around the world who lack safe access to education, healthcare or basic needs like food and shelter.
Many girls in developing nations around the world are oppressed by outdated practices like forced marriage, lack of access to education, exposure to disease, genital mutilation or the burden of bearing children before their bodies are ready. When does a custom become a human rights violation? These practices are devastating for girls and their communities. Now is a critical moment to join Malala in speaking out on behalf of these girls.
Policymakers must listen to girls, prioritize their needs and develop policies that support girls and empower them to lift up their communities. We know that when girls are given the opportunity to complete an education, when girls are given the chance to develop physically and intellectually before marrying or giving birth, when girls are allowed to form deep friendships and help one another, they give back and help build healthy communities.
The first document of its kind, the Girl Declaration is based on the idea that girls are the key to ending poverty. Based on consultations with 500 girls in fourteen developing nations around the world, the Girl Declaration proposes a post-2015 development agenda that places girls at the center of the global effort to end poverty. Malala Yousafzai supports the Girl Declaration, as well as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Queen Rania, Oprah Winfrey, Microsoft, Nike and USAID, among others.
The Girl Declaration is both a platform for girls in developing nations to speak out, and a rallying cry for people in developed nations -- girls, boys, men and women -- to recognize the power of girls. I support the Girl Declaration and I hope you will too.
Please watch the Girl Declaration film below then show your support for Malala Yousafzai and girls all over the world by reading the Girl Declaration and sharing it on Facebook and Twitter.