The International Day of the Girl, observed annually on October 11, was first established in 2012 at the United Nations in New York. The initiative was championed by UN Women, then under the leadership of Michel Bachelet. The day aims to address the specific challenges faced by girls, who have historically been overlooked in both women's policies and children's programs, which have often focused more on boys. This year's theme, "End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls' Rights," underscores the urgency of the issue, particularly in light of the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban's return to power, economic hardship has led some families to sell their daughters into marriage, sometimes as young as nine years old, to survive. This practice results in girls being forced into servitude or marriage, violating their fundamental rights. According to reports, over 12 million girls are married before reaching adulthood each year, with a girl being married every three seconds. In sub-Saharan Africa, the prevalence of child marriage reaches as high as 31 percent. These figures highlight the global scale of the problem. A key strategy to combat child marriage is the registration of births, which provides girls with legal identity and protection under the law. Without an official birth certificate, girls cannot access education or protection from illegal marriage or forced labor. According to UNICEF, 68 million child marriages have been avoided over the past 25 years due to such efforts.