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Mariama Kamara speaking at today's launch Jason Clarke Photography

Happy International Day of the Girl

Today, the world celebrates the girl child.

TODAY MARKS THE first ever International Day of the Girl, a 24-hour period set aside to celebrate girls and to highlight, discuss and advance their lives and opportunities across the globe.

UNICEF says the day aims to focus the world’s attention on the challenges girls face in achieving their rights. The inaugural day also champions the individuals, organisations and governments working to empower girls.

One such group is Plan Ireland which is marking the occasion by calling for quality education for girls to be made an urgent priority in the fight against global poverty.

The charity claims the estimated 75 million girls missing from classrooms around the world is a major violation of rights and a “huge waste of young potential”.

“It is indefensible that globally so many girls are still denied the right to education,” CEO David Dalton said at the group’s annual report launch today. “This absence from school is not only unjust but is an enormous waste of potential which has a tragic and long-lasting impact upon the lives of so many girls and should no longer be tolerated.”

Plan Ireland’s Because I am a Girl campaign, which launches today, hopes to help four million girls living in poverty worldwide, including adolescents who are pushed out of education by child marriage, violence, discrimination and poverty.

An educated girl is less vulnerable to violence, less likely to marry and have children while still a child herself and more likely to be literate and healthy in adulthood. For each year a girl stays in school her annual income rises by 20 per cent. She can break a cycle and actually go on to create a virtuous circle where entire communities come out of poverty.

As part of its campaign, Plan is recommending a minimum of nine years of schooling for both boys and girls. For this to happen, world leaders would need to make it a priority and funding would have to increase.

Sierra Leone teenager Mariama Kamara travelled to Dublin today to help launch the State of the World’s Girls’ report.

“When I was 15-year-old, my family arranged a marriage for me without my consent,” she told the audience at the Mansion House this afternoon. “They put a lot of pressure on me to marry but I refused. Because of my involvement with Plan’s Because I am a Girl projects, I understood my rights and knew about the importance of education. Many girls my age and much younger in Sierra Leone must leave school once they are married to take care of the home and to have children. I want to stay in school. To me, an education is the most important thing to have.”

As part of today’s celebrations, Plan has broadcast a special TV ad entitled Mass Construction on both TV3 and Sky.

Read more from Because I am a Girl>

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25 Comments
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    Mute Carmella Mcgilvery
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:31 PM

    if television adds 10 pounds …does ryan tubridy even exist ??

    325
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    Mute Seth Mcguinness
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    Dec 13th 2015, 12:25 AM

    He exists as pure energy just for his wages.

    13
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    Mute Luke Sarpish
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:03 PM

    Mark Whalburg didn’t even to get to sit down before chopstick Tubridy asked about his Irish roots.

    280
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    Mute Peter McGlynn
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:51 PM

    Sure we claim them just because their great great aunt was raped by an Irish slave-owner ffs.

    36
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    Mute Peter McGlynn
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:51 PM

    Great great grandmother obviously :-).

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    Mute Free comment ratings
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    Dec 12th 2015, 2:02 PM

    Thanks for clearing that up peter.

    141
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    Mute Gerry Campbell
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    Dec 12th 2015, 2:50 PM

    Ah he probably tipped the two of them , ur ok..

    27
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    Mute OneTrueVoice
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:03 PM

    The Late Late Show with Ryan Tubridy.

    Ireland’s answer to I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.

    240
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    Mute John Smith
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:34 PM

    Ireland’s Alan Partridge.

    78
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    Mute DonalC
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:43 PM

    Brendan O Connor was absolutely horrific as well. People let D’Arcy blind them into forgetting how crap the two of them were. Just rewatch that Pussy Riot interview and tell me O’Connor was doing a decent job!

    Irish TV is just dreadful in general

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    Mute Hypernova
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    Dec 12th 2015, 2:29 PM

    In fairness Donal,I don’t think anyone on Earth would be able to have a good interview with Pussy Riot.They were a small bit strange and the language barrier didn’t help.

    43
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    Mute Myles Sheehan
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    Dec 12th 2015, 3:56 PM

    Brendan O’Connor’s interview with Liam Gallagher was one of the worst things I’ve seen any any talk show. He’s such a cringey bollocks.

    40
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    Mute Tony Le Blanc
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    Dec 12th 2015, 4:32 PM

    Really John? That’s like trying to decide which animals dung you would rather have thrown at you.

    23
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    Mute Seán Domhnall O'Sullivan
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    Dec 12th 2015, 8:36 PM

    Pat Kenny with Pete Doherty was the one that sent me over the edge. Truly awful even if I’d ever defend rte, which I wouldnt

    13
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    Mute Linny
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:20 PM

    Every time Tubridy said “You guys”, I died a little inside.

    208
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    Mute Alan Biddulph
    Favourite Alan Biddulph
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    Dec 12th 2015, 2:08 PM

    So tell me about your kids, are they normal? Amazing journalistic skills from the the main man.

    95
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    Mute Fred Astare Astare
    Favourite Fred Astare Astare
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:09 PM

    If Tubridy is talented, I’m Santa Claus!

    91
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    Mute Periguin
    Favourite Periguin
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:13 PM

    Dear Fred,
    I’ve been a very good boy this year……..

    66
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    Mute Fred Astare Astare
    Favourite Fred Astare Astare
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:20 PM

    Dear Periguin, I will give you all you wished for this year……

    First prove to me Tubridy is “Talented”

    Ho! Ho! …..Ho!

    40
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    Mute Sinead Hanley
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:27 PM

    When the likes of Tubridy and that dreadful Xpose crew meet a Hollywood Star, I want to barf.. Have you got Irish roots/did u have the craic in an Irish pub/would u like to make a film in Ireland/when are you coming back.. These questions are patronising.. I am sure the stars in question find them boring too

    148
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    Mute Ben Connolly
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    Dec 12th 2015, 2:59 PM

    Tubridy asked them are your kids normal omg what a question

    58
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    Mute Patrick James Walsh
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    Dec 12th 2015, 2:36 PM

    Tubridy is just so plain cringe inducing, embarrassing to watch him make an idiot of himself, night after night, surely there is someone reasonably competent in RTE to host a chat show without having to watch this car crash tv.

    55
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    Mute Supernova
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    Dec 12th 2015, 3:19 PM

    I had to turn it off.. To cringey!

    35
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    Mute Cupid Stunt
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:48 PM

    Isn’t it great to be known as a nation of drunks.

    44
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    Mute Martin Healy
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    Dec 12th 2015, 3:35 PM

    Ryan turbridy he’s as sincere as a prostuitute’s kiss

    41
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    Mute Tony Le Blanc
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    Dec 12th 2015, 4:35 PM

    Tubridy; Irelands answer to a question nobody has ever asked.

    36
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    Mute bacoxy
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    Dec 12th 2015, 2:24 PM

    Where is the story about Paul Murphy and the FOI request from Irish water gone? Why have ye removed it?

    35
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    Mute Fred Astare Astare
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:24 PM

    Mr. Tubridy reminds me of a Skoda with alloy wheels, pardon me if I sound a little biased.

    24
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    Mute Fred Astare Astare
    Favourite Fred Astare Astare
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:26 PM

    I meant the 70′s Skodas, Not too many reds now boys and girls, or your wishes wont come true.

    Merry Christmas………

    23
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    Mute Periguin
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:27 PM

    Lada comes to mind, with a sunroof and heated rear window.

    25
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    Mute Fred Astare Astare
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:31 PM

    Thats what I meant>>> DOH…

    You’ve been a very good boy Periguin………Now… besides removing a stick insect from the National Broadcaster…..What would you like for Christmas?

    15
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    Mute Periguin
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:39 PM

    ummm, world peace and a decent political structure and represntatives. Impossible, i know, but.

    21
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    Mute Fred Astare Astare
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:58 PM

    You’re right, Impossible, meanwhile here is a Ryan Tubridy colouring book with markers, shouldn’t take you too long to fill in………….

    18
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    Mute Richard McCarthy
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    Dec 12th 2015, 2:24 PM

    Glad you cleared that up Fred,for the record the 152 hi tec Skoda Octavia 2.0 L TDI combi L@K is one mean machine,best value for money car around bar none,no wonder the taxi drivers at Stansted airport prefer them.

    15
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    Mute Fred Astare Astare
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    Dec 12th 2015, 2:36 PM

    Ehhh. I had one, you are right, a great yoke, unfortunately I got it mixed up with my past life as Periguin pointed out the Czech/Russian LADA, which in all honesty were post war cans of proverbial P@ss,

    13
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    Mute molly coddled
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    Dec 12th 2015, 4:30 PM

    What do you call a Lada at the top of a hill?….a miracle.

    15
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    Mute Periguin
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    Dec 12th 2015, 5:51 PM

    Nah, ready to start.

    5
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    Mute Denise Friary
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:39 PM

    That Turdy is a bad example of a man I ever did see.

    21
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    Mute Periguin
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:42 PM

    I does be always listening in english grammar class and do be doing all my homework.

    51
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    Mute Bart Renolds
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    Dec 12th 2015, 3:18 PM

    Tubbs is rte ‘s love child

    18
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    Mute lavbeer
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    Dec 12th 2015, 2:11 PM

    Tubridy is though evidence that we as a people can see the bigger picture and the better future by not holding the actions good or bad of his grandfather against him.

    Long may this continue.

    15
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    Mute Cupid Stunt
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    Dec 12th 2015, 2:29 PM

    His grandad was in the ira but besides that tubs was in fianna fail, and paid hundreds of thousands of Euro for being an apologist for the govt. I’m glad I’ve never bought a tv license.

    32
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    Mute James Keane
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    Dec 12th 2015, 7:45 PM

    Why can’t we get a proper presenter to do our number one talk show. I mean Kenny was ok but tubs is actually embarrassing and this season is his worst yet. D’Arcy actually does a worse job, which is sayin something too.

    11
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    Mute paul kelly
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    Dec 13th 2015, 3:21 PM

    If Ryan turd was a chicken curry….

    1
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