This is a key date to advocate for the rights of girls and adolescent girls, and to promote their access to education, healthcare, safety, and equality. Since its creation, this day has been championed by the NGO Plan International and serves as a powerful moment of global mobilisation to amplify girls’ voices and denounce the injustices they continue to face today.
Plan International: a strong voice at the Forum and around the world.
Since 2012, Plan International has been behind the official recognition of this day by the United Nations. Each year, the NGO leads awareness and advocacy campaigns in France and internationally to denounce forced marriages, female genital mutilation, school dropout, and sexual violence.
In 2025, Plan International France is placing a strong emphasis on girls’ education, seen as the main driver of empowerment and social transformation. The organisation highlights that 118.5 million girls are still denied access to school, and that each additional year spent in education increases their future income by 10 to 20%.
A shared struggle for peace and equality
The Normandy World Peace Forum, organised by the Normandy Region, shares the same ambition: to build a fairer, freer, and more peaceful world.
In previous editions, Plan International France actively took part in debates and workshops, particularly on themes such as education, children's rights, and the fight against violence towards girls.
Hadja Idrissa Bah: a powerful voice for African girls.
The fight led by Plan International for girls’ rights strongly resonates with the journey of Hadja Idrissa Bah, a Guinean activist committed since a very young age. A survivor of female genital mutilation at the age of 8 and once promised to a forced marriage, Hadja was able to escape this fate thanks to education, which she sees as a true lever for empowerment.
From adolescence, she actively campaigned for girls’ rights in Guinea, where female genital mutilation and early marriage remain widespread. By founding the Young Girl Leaders Club of Guinea, she gave a voice to those who are often silenced, and advocates for their access to education, healthcare, and protection.
Her commitment was recognised with the 2023 Freedom Prize, awarded by young people from around the world. In 2025, she continues her advocacy as President of the Jury for the 2026 Freedom Prize, reinforcing her role as an international spokesperson for girls and young women.
To hear her story and better understand her fight, watch the video '3 Questions for Hadja Idrissa Bah', published on the occasion of the International Day against Female Genital Mutilation."
Normandy for Peace Village: a space for youth engagement.
At the heart of the Forum, the Village offers young people – secondary school pupils, students, and young activists – a space to reflect, debate, and take action. Through workshops, meetings, and accredited projects, they are encouraged to engage with global issues, including those related to girls’ rights.
This synergy between two key players – an international forum dedicated to peace and an NGO committed to girls’ rights – illustrated by the involvement of figures like Hadja Idrissa Bah, highlights how gender equality is a fundamental pillar of lasting peace.
