Girls are at high risk of becoming victims of violence and abuse; they are often denied access to education. In some regions of the world, practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation still exist. With your support, we promote projects that protect girls, strengthen their self-confidence, and provide them with an education. We demand equal rights for all from politicians and society so that girls can grow up self-determined and without fear.
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Girls, women, gender equality - data and facts
The long fight against girls' rights violations
Terre des Hommes has declared war on discrimination against girls and women. We denounce gender-based violations of children's rights, protect affected children and young people, and empower them to demand their rights themselves.
Because girls are still being forced into marriage. Their genitals are mutilated. They are raped, die from unsafe abortions, are exploited as labor, sexually abused, and sold for this purpose. The list of drastic violations of children's rights, which primarily affect girls, is long and appalling. Many girls are married every year, even though they are not yet 18 years old. Often, they live in the man's family and are completely at his mercy: They endure violence and humiliation, have to work from dawn till dusk, are forced to fulfill their "marital duties," and become pregnant even though they are still children themselves. Child marriage is a topic in almost all Terre des Hommes projects in India and other countries where it is prevalent. At village meetings and in schools, in youth and women's groups, through public media and other opinion-forming institutions, we raise awareness of the dangers and the right of girls to self-determination.
Much has already been achieved – after all, the number of girls married as children has decreased in recent years. However, many girls and women die every year because they are forced to terminate pregnancies under precarious circumstances, as abortion remains illegal in many countries. For women with money, this is usually not a problem. They go to an expensive private clinic and can terminate their pregnancy there without significant risks. This option is not available to girls and women from impoverished backgrounds. In their desperation, they are forced to attempt abortions themselves using life-threatening methods or to seek out "angel makers" who assist them for a small fee. Most of the girls and women who lose their lives in this process come from Africa.
Genital mutilation, exploitation and sexualized violence
Every year, millions of girls fall victim to female genital mutilation (FGM). Particularly in Somalia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Mali, Sudan, Egypt, and some other African countries, but also in Indonesia, Yemen, and Iraq, this practice is intended to ensure a woman's chastity, virginity, purity, and fidelity. In most countries, FGM has long been illegal. However, those who are not circumcised often have no chance of finding a husband. Girls frequently die from blood poisoning or excessive blood loss. Those who survive the procedure often suffer from chronic pelvic inflammatory disease, problems during childbirth, or extreme pain, especially during intercourse.
Not only do girls do far more housework than boys within their own families. Over 70 percent of the approximately ten million children employed in other people's homes are girls. Many of them work extremely long hours and toil under slave-like conditions. Often, they live far from their homes in their employers' houses, where they are readily available and controllable. The risk of becoming a victim of exploitation and abuse is high. terre des hommes has declared war on both the exploitation of domestic workers and the ruthless exploitation of girls in the Indian textile industry: Young people learn to defend their rights, and alternatives are sought and found when working conditions are unacceptable.
Millions of children are sexually exploited, most of them girls. Child prostitution is a lucrative business; profits from forced prostitution far exceed those from all other forms of forced labor. Furthermore, new opportunities have emerged in globalized, internet-connected markets. Tens of thousands of children worldwide are being exploited for webcam prostitution. Experts expect the number of children exploited through webcam prostitution to continue rising, as global demand from perpetrators and access to cheap internet, even in poor countries, further fuel the trade.
Information material on the topic of girls' rights
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