Today, 11 October is one of our favorite days of the year. It is the International Day of the Girl. Each year we celebrate with our #TeamGirl campaign and a new focus.  We want all girls to be their own superheroes and use their power to change the world!

With the strength of 10 million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, we have made amazing things happen. But there’s still more for us to do. We must work together and take action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With our combined power, we can fight gender inequality. We must promise to do our best. Together we can change the world.

In 2015, World Leaders made a historic agreement to tackle the challenges facing our world. The 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals aim to end extreme poverty, inequality, and climate change by 2030. Each of the 17 Goals has targets that apply to every country. Governments, the UN, charities, businesses, individuals Girl Guides, and Girl Scouts must all play a part to achieve these goals. The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) aims to help every girl realize her potential, and make a difference in her community and the wider world. There are 10 million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world together we can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

WAGGGS has worked with young people to focus our work around the SDGs. We grouped the 17 goals into five core areas to ensure:

• Every girl is healthy and thriving
• Every girl is safe and respected
• Every girl can develop skills and have opportunities
• Every girl can enjoy and inherit a livable planet
• every girl can raise her voice and be heard

We take action on these five themes through our programs, campaigns, projects, and events. We know every girl is powerful. She can lead, learn, innovate and make a change. Yet across the world women and girls face barriers, discrimination, and inequality. Despite international and national commitments to gender equality, there is no country in the world where women and men are equal. Taking action on SDG5 will help to break down these barriers, end discrimination and create a more equal world for every girl. SDG5 is also necessary to achieve the other SDGs, from reducing poverty to improving the health and wellbeing of girls and boys. For each of the 17 SDGs, official targets have been developed. These are all important, but most of WAGGGS’ work focused on three targets