The theme for this year’s UN’s International Day of the Girl Child is ‘girls’ vision for the future’, demonstrating the need for urgent action and persistent hope when it comes to platforming and centring girls’ voices and their vision for the future. According to Save the Children, there are 89.2 million adolescent girls currently living in conflict zones, which is almost one in five adolescent girls (aged 10–17). Conflict and violence disrupt education, limit work opportunities, increase costs and rates of poverty and weaken the protections that should be in place to keep young girls safe. On top of this, girls living in conflict-affected countries are more than 20% more likely to marry as children than those living outside of conflict zones.

This year, Women for Women International is launching its expanded Adolescent Girls Programme, an initiative that addresses critical issues facing teenage girls in conflict-affected countries. The new programme targets girls aged 16–17 in areas of extreme poverty and gender-based violence and aims to reach 3,000 girls by 2025, focusing on gender equality, health, financial literacy and vocational skills.

Speaking to Stylist, two young girls – part of Women for Women International’s Adolescent Girls Programme – share their experiences of girlhood and growing up surrounded by conflict and violence.

Harir, 17, Afghanistan

“Growing up in Afghanistan, my family faced many economic struggles. There were times we couldn’t even afford school supplies, but my parents always made sure I went to school. My father would say, ‘My daughter will become a doctor,’ and I didn’t believe in myself at first. It was hard, but as I started seeing the results of my hard work in school, I gained confidence.

However, everything changed when the Taliban took control in 2021. The biggest barrier in my life is not being allowed to go to school. Since then, I’ve had to study in secret and find other ways to continue learning. The restrictions have made life so much harder for me and many other girls. When the Taliban came, everything in my life changed. I’ll never forget the moment they closed the doors to our school. I stood there, frozen, for what felt like an eternity. I couldn’t move; I couldn’t feel anything. I walked back home in tears, hugged my mother and cried with all my heart.

Before, life wasn’t perfect, but at least I had the freedom to go to school, attend courses and even visit parks without being questioned. Now, those freedoms are gone. I can no longer go to school, and many of my friends have left the country or moved away. The feeling of being trapped, of having my dreams taken from me, led me into depression. I’ve had to seek medical treatment and take medicine to help with anxiety. But despite all this, I refuse to give up. I’m still learning, even in secret. I help other girls in my neighbourhood, study medical books and take online courses whenever I can. The conflict has hurt me deeply, but it has not killed my desire to become a doctor.

I am hopeful for the future because I know that hard days will definitely pass, and after darkness, light will come. All the difficulties and challenges in our way require strength, perseverance and resilience. I will certainly prove myself: for myself, for my family, for those around me, for my people and for the world. I am most hopeful because I believe that truth always prevails. What I want is education and learning, and that is the most basic right, not only of a girl but of any human being. In the end, despite the current obstacles, I see myself at the peak of success in the future, and I will definitely achieve everything I desire.”

Josephine, 18, Rwanda

“My parents separated when I was 11, and my two brothers and I remained with my mother. As a single parent, it was incredibly challenging for my mother to care for us. She had to work long hours on the farm to provide for us. The separation deeply affected me, and I became withdrawn. I avoided talking to other girls at school and in my neighbourhood, and I stopped all the dancing and singing I used to with friends because of all the stress at home.

Growing up, I was incredibly close to my two brothers and looked up to them. Both serve in the army, and witnessing their dedication to duty made me realise that I wanted to serve my country too. I decided to complete my studies and become a police officer. However, life had other plans for me. While preparing for my senior class exams, a family friend who was much older than me, promised me a gift if I passed my exams. One day, he invited me to his house to pick a gift, but when I went there, he sexually abused me. Soon after, I found out I was pregnant. I didn’t want to stop studying, but raising a child is a full-time job, and I eventually dropped out of school when I was 15. With the constant demands of motherhood, my hopes of returning to school faded.

I think, deep down, I always held on to the dream of finishing my schooling and becoming a police officer. Last year, in 2023, I joined Women for Women Rwanda’s Adolescent Girls programme, which was a turning point in my life. I was scared at first, but as the weeks went by, my nervousness was replaced by confidence. I began dreaming again of going back to school and becoming a police officer. The idea of wearing a police uniform and serving and protecting my community is exciting to me. I want to give back to my community and show others, especially young mothers, that they can rise above their challenges and create a better life.

My goal is to ensure that my child grows up proud of the firm and successful mother I have become. My daughter, Sharon, gives me the strength and motivation to work hard and create a better life for both of us.”

Image: Getty