Global Girls Summit

10 October 2018

Queen Mathilde attended Global Girls Summit #GirlsGetEqual, organized by Plan International at the Halles Saint-Géry in Brussels.

After Mathilde's opening address in French, English and Dutch, young women from over 60 countries had the chance to network and exchange ideas and good practices on gender equality and female rights.

" (...) Je viens d’entendre le message clair et convaincant de Rimsha. J’ai donc rencontré des adolescentes fortes, qui n’ont pas peur d’exprimer leurs opinions sur ce qui leur importe. Toutes font preuve d’une grande aptitude au leadership et savent ce qu’elles veulent ! (...)"

"Mais toutes les filles n’ont pas cette chance ! Les filles sont souvent moins considérées que les garçons. Pourtant, les filles et les garçons, les hommes et les femmes sont complémentaires. Nous avons besoin des unes comme des autres, à mesure égale. Nous avons besoin de mener un dialogue sur les défis que les unes et les autres doivent affronter."

"Girls can indeed be under enormous social pressure to conform to prevailing gender norms. In many cultures, they are brought up to believe that being a “good girl” means getting married early and taking on the roles of wife, mother and carer."

"(...) They are at greater risk of violence from an intimate partner, and of having mental health problems as a result of these issues.  As SDG Advocate, I have made a priority to promote greater awareness of mental health problems, including among young people."

"(...) Because of collective efforts, girls’ enrollment in primary school has improved globally, almost reaching parity with boys’. Nevertheless, across the world, 57 million children of primary school age are still not enrolled in school — more than half in sub-Saharan Africa."

"(...) Certain traditions constantly reinforce gender roles and stereotypes. So, it is critical to provide a counterpoint by unlocking the potential of girls as they make the transition to adulthood. 10-year-old girls deserve particular attention in this regard. They are at a crucial moment in life, when they are still full of a confidence that can be nurtured. Programs such as Plan-It Girls enable young girls to discover their potential. They learn to trust in themselves and to build skills that allow them to challenge the status quo."

"(...) Meisjes kunnen echter niet in hun eentje voor zo een ingrijpende verandering zorgen. We moeten moeders, vaders, broers en zussen erbij betrekken. Ook schooldirecteurs, leerkrachten en jongens moeten we meekrijgen. (...)"