International Day of the Girl Child took place Saturday, Oct. 11, and the Archer community gathered in the main courtyard during lunch Wednesday, Oct. 15, to commemorate this day together. International Day of the Girl Child recognizes the power of girls everywhere, highlighting girls’ accomplishments and hardships, as well as providing a space to advocate for feminism. This day is meant towards building a brighter and more equitable future for girls everywhere.
Artemis Center and the Girls Empowering Girls club collaborated to curate and plan an engaging celebration. They made posters, signs and a sheet filled with positive affirmations.
The theme surrounding this year’s event was “The girl I am, the change I lead.” Artemis Center member Katia Thomas (’27) said she feels that this theme is impactful and important to the world today.
“I think that it is an even more relevant theme within this administration [and] within this world we live in. I think it is really important to spotlight the change that people are making for girls and that girls are making,” Thomas said. “Something really cool that is happening over here is that people can highlight the change they want to lead or something that they are interested in. So we can put focus on not just this International Day of the Girl Child, but issues around the world that need to be solved.”
Artemis Center member Olivia Hallinan-Gan (’26) said this day recognizes the issues women face in the world today and that it is essential to work towards improvement. She said that because issues regarding women’s rights are prevalent in society, it is important to also recognize all the struggles in the past as well as the hardships that women currently have when celebrating.
“I have always felt very tied to feminism and to womanhood and to empowering one another,” Hallinan-Gan said. “This is a day of celebration. It is not a day of sadness or anger, [as] there can be a lot [of that] right now. It is a day of celebrating our successes and also just celebrating being here today. And I think it is a great way to appreciate all women in our lives and beyond.”
Thomas said that because Archer is an all-girls school, this day already carries a stronger meaning in the community. She encourages everyone to hold space for this day, look into its significance and celebrate our differences and the changes women are making in our world.
“International Day of the Girl Child is a day where we can recognize the contributions of girls around the world and understand the inequities for girls,” Thomas said. “Since Archer is an all-girls school, I think we really value what girls have to offer. I think having that personal perspective on this, we get to really celebrate more deeply than a co-ed school.”
Hallinan-Gan also said she does not think many schools celebrate International Day of the Girl Child, meaning other co-ed schools and institutions do not celebrate womanhood in the same way.
“I think that [womenhood] is a really unique aspect of Archer,” Hallinan-Gan said. “Archer is such a special place … and I think by celebrating that in this courtyard, in this historic courtyard, it is really fortifying the history of Archer, and again, continuing our futures as powerful women.”
Sophomore Juliet Carter said this day makes her feel recognized and proud to be a girl. She said she loves the way Archer presented this day because everyone on campus celebrates together.
“I think [this day] shows just how amazing girls can be … because we can all empower each other,” Carter said. “I think that International Day of the Girl Child enhances that because it just shows how we are such strong people, and we don’t need any other people to confirm that for us.”
Hallinan-Gan said because there is a deep history behind where women stand today, she is glad there is a day when girls can simply celebrate themselves.
“Being a girl is such a powerful thing, and being a woman is such a powerful idea, because there has been so much history behind where we are today and the rights we have today,” Hallinan-Gan said. “This is a day of coming together, bonding and being again, [and it is] just girls having fun.”
