[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 142 (Friday, October 11, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1489]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL CHILD

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                          HON. HENRY A. WAXMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 11, 2013

  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the second 
International Day of the Girl Child, which takes place on October 11. 
This day was designated by the United Nations General Assembly to 
promote girls' rights and shine light upon the discrimination and 
inequalities that girls suffer to this day.
   In December 2011, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to 
declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child to 
``recognize girls' rights and the unique challenges girls face around 
the world.''
   The theme this year is ``Innovating for Girls' Education'' because 
education is the key to ensuring women's social and economic 
empowerment in this world. It leads to lower poverty, lower mortality 
rates, democratization, and fewer child marriages.
   This is not just a far-away problem. American youth can take action 
now working to ensure that women's rights and girls' rights are a 
priority in our foreign policy and by advocating for educational 
opportunities for girls at home and around the world. Annie Gersh from 
Marlborough High School in Los Angeles is doing that now. She is on my 
Youth Advisory Board and was a teen advisor for Girl Up, a project of 
the UN Foundation. I am proud that Annie is a constituent, and I hope 
that she and other young people like her will continue their fight for 
girls' rights in America and around the globe.

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