Report highlights large number of 'invisible' girls

A ceremony in Beijing on Tuesday to mark the fifth International Day of the Girl Child adopted a theme of "Counting the Invisible: Using Data to Transform the Lives of Girls and Women by 2030".

Plan International China recently published a report revealing that due to insufficient or missing data, large numbers of girls are "invisible", especially to government and policymakers.

Jointly sponsored by Plan International China, Chengmei Charity Foundation and UN Women, the report calls on governments to fill the gaps in data, such as the pregnancy rate of girls under the age of 15 and the prevalence of sexual harassment.

In addition, more comprehensive analysis of existing data must be conducted by disaggregating data according to age, gender, ethnicity, location and disability, it said, adding that the UN Sustainable Development Goals promise to change our world by 2030, but most of the goals and targets cannot be measured due to a lack of data.

"Lack of data means governments are blind to basic rights being denied to girls, such as the right to education or the right to have control over their own bodies," said Sven Coppens, country director of Plan International China.

"Therefore, we urgently need to work with governments, civil society, the public and especially girls themselves to value, track and solve the problems faced by girls and women," he said.

The report introduced a series of reports that will track the progress of girls and women toward true equality during the 15-year life span of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It also highlights the global partnership in which various organizations call on governments across the world to act.

"Systematic collection and analysis of gender data is absolutely essential to achieve all 17 of the Sustainable Developments Goals, since gender should be mainstreamed through all of them," said Julie Broussard, country program manager of UN Women China.