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October is full of all the most important holidays. There’s the notable Mean Girls reference day (October 3rd), Halloween, my birthday, but most importantly, October 11th.

October 11, 2017 is a special day. In fact, it’s so special that the positivity and love it brings can barely be contained within one calendar square. October 11, hosts both International Day of the Girl Child and National Coming Out Day, two holidays we here at SpreadLove are elated to observe.

International Day of the Girl Child

International Day of the Girl Child had its debut back on October 11, 2012. Organized by the United Nations, this day is dedicated to the world’s 1.1 billion girls. It has long been recognized that educating and providing healthcare to girls and women is a key indicator of a healthy society. Childhood is a critical time for all, and ensuring that young girls and teenagers have access to proper food, water, healthcare, and education are extremely important in shaping them into creative forces and empowered women.

However, millions of girls live in poverty or in crisis situations without access to these essentials. While much improvement had been made in the international community by promoting access to education, there still exist many problems for young girls. These include child marriages, poor water sanitation, lack of reproductive healthcare and much more. This year is dedicated to raising awareness that girls face following crises, like the current humanitarian crisis in Syria.

A young girl sits in the shade, while her sister sleeps behind her, at an IDP camp in Baidoa for victims of a drought currently affecting Somalia. UN Photo/Tobin Jones

The United Nations made education one of their critical Sustainable Development Goals to transform our world. Ensuring inclusive and quality education for all to promote lifelong learning is a foundation of sustainable development. Learn more about the UN’s goals here.

National Coming Out Day

National Coming Out Day has been around a little longer that the Day of the Girl Child. It first gained traction in 1988, following the first national march on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. Since then the movement has grown rapidly, expanding even further with social media. It is common for LGBTQ+ celebrities to film encouraging messages to those still struggling with their gender or sexual identity. People also film messages coming out to the public. Check out this video from 2015:

National Coming Out Day is a great time to provide support and love to anyone in the LGBTQ+, and here at SpreadLove we want to officially congratulate anyone who came today or recently.

Not Just One Day

Both these holidays are just one day in October, but their missions should be spread throughout the entire year. Promoting human rights for young girls and showing support to members of the LGBTQ+ community are worthy causes that deserve our attention year round. Opening our hearts and minds to be inclusive of those in our communities is just one of the ways we can SpreadLove. If you’d like to know more information about how to get involved in either of these causes, check out these links below.

http://www.un.org/en/events/girlchild/

http://www.dayofthegirl.org/

https://www.hrc.org

Xoxo, SpreadLove

 

 

Caroline Alberti

Author Caroline Alberti

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