Perhaps this will inspire each us to think of our girls for the next 364 days, bringing awareness and support to the other half of our world population.
Every morning we wake up to the sound of our alarm. We get dressed, grab some breakfast and less than 20 minutes later we are at school. The two of us may live in different states, attend different schools, but there is one common denominator we share.
There is no question that with the proper education and environment, a girl is capable of great things -- in fact, the tenacity that girls consistently show proves that they will lead the world to this realization.
If we went to Ghana together, I'd want you to meet Linda Donkor, a 16-year-old student in Worldreader's program. She lives with her grandmother and her sisters.
Malala Yousafzai's tragedy is our tragedy; may she live, and may this astonishingly beautiful young woman continue to inspire us. But her story teaches us that the hunger for learning is unstoppable.
Educating girls is not just right, it's smart. The numbers add up, which is why we consider educating girls to be basic math.
Together, let's build a world where a child's destiny is determined by drive and ability, not by gender. It's the idea that girls are sharing with the world today. And it's an idea we should all get behind.
Pakistan needs to be shocked into action, with the Taliban shamed and forced into accepting the basic freedoms of every girl.
Programs have traditionally focused on keeping girls in school or delaying marriage, which are important approaches, but perhaps a wiser investment is direct assets to girls -- i.e., giving them cash.
Today, on the first United Nation's International Day of the Girl Child, the world's thoughts are with Malala Yousufzai, the 14 year-old Pakistani schoolgirl and activist who was shot Tuesday in the Swat Valley.
In addition to talking, why not fund one of the amazing organizations working to support girls? Why not fund organizations working to end the injustice -- extreme or subtle -- that girls encounter every day?
Pregnancy and childbirth is still the leading cause of death for teenage girls in the poorest corners of the word, and despite all the progress in reducing maternal mortality by 47 percent we have yet to save these young, vulnerable lives. One of the biggest issues to resolve is child marriage.
Our guarantee on International Day of The Girl Child is that we will do everything, everywhere to ensure that the millions of girls who have not gone to school today will get their chance of an education and have their basic human rights respected.
