International Day of the Girl Child conference

The International Day of the Girl Child Conference has been organised by UNICEF, UNFPA and UN Women in Turkey, in partnership with Aydın Doğan Foundation, since 2015 in order to highlight barriers faced by adolescent girls in leveraging their potential.

This year’s event was held in a hybrid format, with both face-to-face and online participation, in accordance with pandemic precautions, and will be live-streamed on YouTube. In 2021, the conference expanded its scope and reach to address global and regional needs of girls and young women and aims to strengthen collective action in the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Region.

The participants – including regional, national and international experts, renowned names in their fields, and youth – highlighted the potential, motivation and skills of the current generation of adolescent girls to lead the way in the digital era.

The conference advocated for action for girls’ leadership in the digital age, with a specific focus on how the current generation of young girls and women participate, challenge stereotypes and claim their rights in the era of digital interaction and learning. The keynote speaker of the conference was Afshan Khan, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia.

Watch a replay of the day: