The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the International Day of the Girl:

“Every girl deserves a chance to learn and grow; to succeed without barriers; to live without limits to their success. But in too many parts of the world, women and girls are still undervalued and kept isolated from opportunity.

“Canada firmly believes that a fairer world with greater equality is also a better one.

“At home, we are improving access to safe, inclusive, and quality education and skills training for women and girls. Since 2018, we have invested more than $433 million in over 930 projects to advance gender equality across Canada. We introduced the Menstrual Equity Fund pilot project, which has increased access to menstrual health products for over 3.5 million people in need. Earlier this year, we announced the National School Food Program, which will get healthy school meals to kids across the country. With Canada’s gender-based violence strategy, we are supporting initiatives to prevent youth dating violence, family violence, and child abuse.

“On the global stage, as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we are breaking down barriers that limit opportunities for women and girls around the world. Just last month, at the United Nations General Assembly, we announced over $112 million to help protect the comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls worldwide – so they’re able to make choices about their bodies, their lives, and their own futures.

“Girls can be anything they want to be. Our role, as government leaders, is to break down barriers so they get that fair chance to succeed. On this International Day of the Girl, let’s keep moving forward on our progress.”