'Because I am a Girl: Special Focus- In the Shadow of War'

Today (May 19, 2008), on International Day of the Family, Plan is launching the second report in the 'Because I am a Girl' series.

This years' report 'Girls in the Shadow of War' reveals why and how girls' rights are being violated in countries affected by armed conflict. It shows clearly what is lost when girls' voices are ignored and their capacities and skills go un-recognized and under-developed.

With introductions from President Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia and Graca Machel, international advocate of children's rights, the report highlights that the impact of conflict on girls goes beyond their experiences as either combatants or victims of violence to encompass their health, education, gender roles and relationships.

It analyses their situation through the lenses of Participation and Empowerment, Gender Roles and Relations, Access to Basic Services, Security and Protection and Economic Security. The report describes how discrimination against girls is in place before the fighting begins and long after it is over. The impacts vary from area to area, even within the same country, but the cost in terms of girls' well-being is profound.

Lack of effective targeted interventions mean that many nations, and the girls who live in them, will remain in a cycle of insecurity for decades, which will hinder progress towards lasting peace. Plan hopes that this report will urge leaders around the world to take immediate action to improve the lives of girls everywhere.

To read the full report or to learn about Plan's Because I am a Girl campaign, click HERE