Girl report launched at the European Parliament

MEPs Ana Maria Gomes and Glenys Kinnock with Tom Miller and Deepali Sood at Plan's girl report presentation

27 June 2008: Action must be taken to ensure the rights of girls affected by armed conflict, warned Plan in a presentation of ‘Because I am a Girl: In the Shadow of War’ report to the European Parliament.

Author of the Plan report Nikki van der Gaag, Plan Chief Executive Officer Tom Miller and Head of Plan's EU liaison office Deepali Sood introduced the document at a roundtable event.

Together with representatives of UNICEF, UNIFEM, the European Commission Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), European Parliament and Civil Society, Plan used the report to emphasise that the human rights of girls affected by armed conflict are at particular risk.

Girl soldiers

Ms van der Gaag told the parliament that 38 countries have used girl soldiers in armed conflict in the last 2 decades and that some 200,000,000 girls live in countries at risk of, in the midst of, or emerging from armed conflict.

Girls in the shadow of war are particularly in danger of becoming mothers as a result of rape and should receive specific nutritional support. They are also at high risk of becoming infected by HIV and unwanted pregnancies.

Importance of education

Ms van der Gaag also underlined the fact that 20,000,000 girls in war zones are denied access to education.

"But adequate education for these girls would encourage their contribution to the promotion of peace building and conflict resolution," she said.

By providing safe, quality and relevant education Plan has already helped to protect many girls and young women from mental and physical assault. Education is one of the key ways of building girls’ confidence, giving them hope for the future and preventing them from becoming soldiers.

UK European Parliament member Glenys Kinnock, who was also present, underlined the importance of Plan’s girls report for developing effective EU policies to ensure girls’ rights.

Demand for action

At the end of the discussion, Deepali Sood and Tom Miller presented a statement to the incoming French Presidency of the European Union, calling for EU action to ensure the rights of girls affected by armed conflict.

Find out more and sign the pledge on Plan UK's Because I am a Girl campaign site

Read about and download the Because I am a Girl: In the Shadow of War report