International Day of the Girl Child Furthers Awareness, Empowerment of Vulnerable Women on October 11

SEATTLE (October 6, 2014) — Three years after the United Nations declared October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, the 2014 World Vision Gift Catalog (www.worldvisiongifts.org) again encourages men and women to further awareness and advocacy for vulnerable girls worldwide.

A Million-Person Problem

Rather than the story of a stray individual, vulnerability, oppression, and exploitation are problems that affect millions of girls, their communities, and the world at large.

• Up to 1 in 3 women report having experienced physical and or sexual abuse in their lifetime.
• Birth certificates can help protect children from human trafficking, child labor, early marriage, and underage conscription into armed forces, but roughly 33 percent of children under age 5 do not have one.
• Millions of children – most of them girls – are enslaved in the global sex trade today.
• Research shows that societies with great gender equality experience faster economic growth, better outcomes for children, and more representative government institutions.

The One-Person Solution

Empowerment and support for vulnerable women is not out of reach – on one day, October 11, everyone – male or female – has power to change the numbers. To advocate, consider:

• Petition for change through the #GirlsCountAct for birth certificates.
• Research women’s rights issues and share your findings with the hashtag, #dayofthegirl.
• Forgo a family trip to the movies for a $35 contribution to sex trafficking recovery programs.
• Explore donation options for girls and women through the World Vision Gift Catalog that encourage societal change, such as providing a bicycle for a girl to help her get to school each morning.

With nearly 40 different ways to help women and children and more than 100 ways to improve lives around the world, the World Vision Gift Catalog is just one way to further advocacy and awareness this October. Be it a free post with the #dayofthegirl hashtag or a $39,000 contribution to fund a health clinic in the name of a strong woman, October 11 is an invitation to  advocate for those without the power to do so on their own.

For pictures, videos and stories of individuals in the 100 countries where World Vision works, visit www.worldvision.org. To order from the Gift Catalog, visit www.worldvisiongifts.org or call 855-WV-GIFTS.

About the World Vision Gift Catalog
Since 1996, the World Vision Gift Catalog has given people the opportunity to better the lives of children, adults and communities in the U.S. and around the world through hundreds of gifts in all different areas of need: clean water, food, education, sexual exploitation, job training and others. In fiscal year 2014, more than 139,000 donors purchased more than 409,000 items from the Gift Catalog that helped more than 800,000 people around the world. To order from World Vision’s Gift Catalog, visit www.worldvisiongifts.org or call toll-free at 855-WV-GIFTS. Want to see where your dollars go? Watch how the Gift Catalog works on YouTube.

About World Vision:
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization conducting relief, development, and advocacy activities in its work with children, families, and their communities in nearly 100 countries to help them reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. For more information, please visit www.WorldVision.org/media-center/ or on Twitter @WorldVisionUSA.

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