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Last week, the world celebrated the International Day of the Girl Child. Progress for adolescent girls has not kept pace with the realities they face today, and COVID-19 has reinforced many of these gaps. Data shows women and girls are especially vulnerable in the face of COVID-19. UN teams across the globe recognize the urgency to protect and support women and girls, especially right now, and are taking every measure to do so.

A collaboration across the humanitarian-development and peace nexus in Central Sahel is needed now more than ever to recover better from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Somewhere in Kenya, an early morning in July: A woman organizes a once-in-a-lifetime “ceremony” for her 11-year old niece: The girl’s genitals will be cut off as part of her cultural transition into adulthood. A few hours later, a telephone rings in an office in Nairobi. The phone is connected to the number 1195, the national helpline for gender-based violence. One of the girl’s relatives has called in to report the incident anonymously.

In the midst of a global pandemic, we find women on the front lines everywhere, as heads of government, legislators, healthcare workers, community leaders, and more. UN Women presents five examples.

As part of its work towards ending child marriage and gender-based violence in Niger, the Spotlight Initiative partners with young women activists in Niger to celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child.