Kathmandu - XINHUA
With the formal launch of a campaign \'Because I am a Girl,\' the first ever International Day of the Girl Child was observed throughout the world on Thursday. Earlier, the United Nations had agreed to recognize October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, the move that was hailed throughout the world with delight. On the auspicious occasion, an international non-governmental organization, Plan International, which has been promoting children\'s development throughout the world for the past 75 years, has lunched the five-year campaign to help millions of girls get education, skills and support they need to transform their world into a better haven to live. \"Globally, one in every three girls is denied education by the daily realities of poverty, conflict and discrimination...Because I am a Girl aims to support those millions of girls to get education,\" Plan International said in its website. The website informed that events were scheduled to take place in more than 60 countries culminating in a global event in New York, which was expected to be attended by UN Women executive director Michelle Bachelet, Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee, Minister for Status of Women from Canada Rona Ambrose, actress Marcia Cross among others. The Empire State Building, London Eye and the Niagara Falls were among the number of landmarks that were expected to lit up to mark the occasion. In many poor countries like Nepal, girls are often taken out of school and forced into work, or married off to strangers where they risk abuse. Missing out on school can mark the end of girl having any choice over her own future. In a bid to save a girl from such intolerable behaviour, right activists and social organizations along with Plan have decided to eradicate discrimination against girls.