The UN marks the international day of the girl in October, with a focus on empowering adolescent girls and ending violence against them. The UN has encouraged young people to be at the centre of discussions on gender equality, and we want to hear from you. If you had the stage, what action would you propose to empower girls? Your idea might be at a grassroots level, or perhaps have a global focus.
The rights of women and girls captured public attention recently when Emma Watson addressed the UN on gender equality. Watson’s speech helped UN Women launch its HeForShe campaign, which called for men to take a greater role in campaigning for gender equality.
The day of the girl’s theme on preventing violence follows a Unicef report that found almost a quarter of girls aged 15 to 19 worldwide reported being victims of physical violence. The report, Hidden in plain sight (pdf) found that among girls who had experienced physical or sexual violence, about seven in 10 had not sought help.
Submit a response of 250 words or fewer, answering the question: what would you do to empower girls? Keep your submissions clear and concise, avoiding development or academic jargon. Email your response to development@theguardian.com with “Students Speak” in the subject line. Please include your name, the country where you live, and the university or college you attend. Submissions close at 6pm BST on 11 October.
• Read the responses to our first Students Speak proposal, on climate change
