MWIA News

Whatever you have been doing for the last 10 minutes, take a moment to comprehend the horrific reality – somewhere in the world an adolescent girl has died as a result of violence.  This doesn’t make for comfortable reading, but it’s the truth.

Recent statistics indicate 125 million girls and women worldwide have undergone female genital mutilation while 1.2 million children are being trafficked each year – many of these children are girls forced into sex trafficking.

However, it is not all doom and gloom. Over the last 15 years, the global community has made significant progress in improving the lives of girls during early childhood. In 2015, girls in the first decade of life are more likely to enrol in primary school, receive vaccinations, and are less likely to suffer from health and nutrition problems than were previous generations.

As the United Nations launches the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for implementation over the next 15 years, it is timely to recognise the progress that has been made, while also seeking to continue to empower women and children to receive the education and skills needed to transform their lives and the world around them.

On October 11 we hope you will join with us in celebrating the United Nations Day of the Girl Child, to promote girls’ human rights while addressing the various forms of discrimination and abuse suffered by girls around the world. Let this be a time of renewed hope and optimism, that as a global community we can stand for what is Just in society. As a collective body, inspired by the values of Mary Ward, we have the opportunity to help every child around the world receive an education.

Through Mary Ward International Australia (MWIA) we are able to continue to provide much needed support to our Loreto Sisters who work across varied life-saving projects in the world.

“There is no such difference between men and women that women may not do great things”

– Mary Ward

Words: MWIA Communications Manager, Elouise Hahn