International Day of the Girl Child: Our time is now - Our rights, our future!

11 October marks the 11th anniversary of the International Day of the Girl Child. The objective of this day is to recognise girls' rights and the unique challenges they face worldwide. Over the past 11 years, there has been increased attention to issues that matter to girls among governments, policymakers, and the general public, resulting in more opportunities for girls to have their voices heard on the global stage.

Procter & Gamble's (P&G) unwavering commitment to creating opportunities for young girls has led to collaborations with young female leaders and partnerships with global organisations such as Women Deliver and Global Citizen.

Recently the global leader in consumer-packaged goods took center stage during UN week at the 11th edition of the Global Citizen Festival, a renowned international event. Global Citizen, a leading international organisation dedicated to ending extreme poverty, was recently named, for the first time, one of the coolest campaigns targeted at the youth market at the prestigious Sunday Times GenNext Awards. This year's festival, which was streamed globally, shone the spotlight on the P&G’s commitment to addressing period poverty and providing access to sanitary pads for underprivileged girls. South African actress and global activist Nomzamo Mbatha and Chantal Alison-Konteh, founder of Her Village and Always Period Hero, introduced the pivotal on-stage moment during the event.

P&G brought the recently launched Always #Bloodsisters movement and call to action to the global stage in Central Park, New York, amongst tens of thousands of concert goers and millions of viewers worldwide. The movement is geared towards ending period poverty and the campaign includes a catchy and empowering song about the power of collective action and sisterhood. The song which has gained global recognition, has a dance choreographed and curated by Bontle Modiselle, the South African Always Keeping Girls in School ambassador.

Through the Always Keeping Girls in School initiatives, the organisation has already empowered over one million girls through the donation of 50 million pads across sub-Sahara Africa. These donations have empowered young girls with the necessary education to overcome the stigmas associated with menstruation.

Bontle Modiselle also lent her voice at the festival alongside fellow activists Nomzamo Mbatha, Chris Rock, Charlize Theron, Katie Holmes, Patrice, and precious Motsepe. Modiselle is a passionate advocate for helping the less fortunate, bringing awareness to the fact that one in three girls miss school as a result of their period.

"P&G South Africa believes that we are all global citizens responsible for making the world a better place and the time to do so is right here, right now," says Anele Nzimande, Communications Leader of P&G South Africa.

P&G has partnered with other Global Citizen organisations, including World Vision and the UN Foundation, for the festival to address various pressing issues, including poverty and education.

The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to eradicate global poverty by 2030 as its first goal. Specifically, SDG Goal Five calls for gender equality within the same timeframe. "Participating in the Global Citizen Festival allows us to shed light on these urgent issues," concludes Nzimande.

Globally, the percentage of females among Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) graduates is below 15 per cent in over two-thirds of countries.

About Blood Sister campaign

Procter & Gamble (P&G) — home of Always sanitary products — launched its new campaign in South Africa Always #BloodSisters, working to break down the barriers to education caused by period poverty.

Watch the full P&G stage moment and check out the #BloodSisters movement.