The Girl I am, the change I lead

Every year on October 11th, the world comes together to celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child - a day to honor the strength, resilience, and leadership of girls everywhere.

This year's theme 2025, "The girl I am, the change I lead: Girls on the frontlines of crisis," reminds us that girls are not just surviving in difficult situations, they are leading, creating, and inspiring change in ways that often go unnoticed.

Through my work and conversations with young girls, I've seen firsthand how powerful they are when given the chance to be heard.

Girls who speak up for their friends.

Girls who want to end gender inequality.

Girls who dream of a world where every child has access to education and safety.

They may not all have platforms or titles, but in their own small ways, they are leading change at home, in school, and in their communities. Yet so often, their voices are overlooked. The world celebrates women leaders but forgets that leadership starts young with a girl who dares to dream, to question, to care, and to act.

Today, we celebrate every girl who keeps showing up, the one who is learning to believe in herself, the one who is still figuring things out, and the one who is already leading without even realizing it.

You are seen

You are strong

You are enough

You are the change.

The Girl I am. The Change I lead.

Written by Emekeme Oton