Today is International Day of the Girl Child.

Every week Peace Corps Cambodia sends out a weekly update (WU). In it one of the incredible Khmer staff does a bit about language and culture. In conjunction with the Gender and Development (GAD) Committee, this week Borin spotlighted International Day of the Girl Child. He did such a phenomenal job and I love how you can see the khmer translations and English phonetics too. So enjoy some language and culture exchange while you think about what this day means to you and to people around the world. (Also I highly recommend the Half the Sky: How to Change the World by Nicholas D. Kristof & Sheryl Wudunn for an eye-opening account of gender issues and crimes against humanity and the importance of education, especially for girls the world over. 

Language and Culture Corner:  International Day of the Girl Child

On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. The term “girl child” is commonly used abroad to distinguish the unique challenges faced by those under age 18 from those faced by women. The most common factors that contribute to the challenges that girls face are poverty and lack of education. Cultural beliefs and values and family support contribute to whether girls will receive greater levels of education. 

Vocabulary Corner

Vocabulary	Khmer Translation	Phonetic Symbol
International Day of the Girl Child	ទិវាកុមារីអន្តរជាតិ	Dti wae komaarey antarakcheat
recognize	ទទួលស្គាល់	Dto dtuol skorl
declare	ប្រកាស	Bpro kaas
girls' rights	សិទ្ធិរបស់កុមារី	Sithi robos komaarey
Unique	តែមួយគត់	Te muoy kut
challenge	បញ្ហា	Bpaagn haa
common	ទូទៅ	Dtoo dtov
factors	កត្តា	Kataa
poverty	ភាពក្រីក្រ	Phaep krey kro
lack of education	ការខ្វះការអប់រំ	Kaa k’wah kaa orbrom
cultural beliefs and values	តំលៃនិងជំនឿខាងវប្បធម៌	Dtom lai noeng chum neu khaang waab thor
family support	ការគាំទ្រពីគ្រួសារ	Kaa kom dtro bpi kruo saa
social change	ការផ្លាស់ប្តូរសង្គម	Kaa p’laas p’doa sangkum
benefit	អត្ថប្រយោជន៍	Aat thaak bpro yorch
Influence	ឥទ្ធិពល	Et thi pul
improve	កែលំអ, លើកកំពស់	Ke lum or, leuk kam pus
human trafficking	ការជួញដូរមនុស្ស	Kaa chuogn doa momuos

Discussion Questions:

1. How can families encourage girls to continue their education?

តើគ្រួសារអាចលើកទឹកក្មេងស្រីអោយបន្តការសិក្សារបស់ពួកគេយ៉ាងដូចម្តេច?

2. What benefits do families gain by helping their daughters finish school?

តើគ្រួសារបានទទួលអត្ថប្រយោជន៍អ្វីខ្លះពីការជួយអោយកូនស្រីរបស់ពួកគេបានបញ្ចប់ការសិក្សា?

3. How do communities benefit by educating girls?

តើសហគមន៍ទទួលបានអត្ថប្រយោជន៍អ្វីខ្លះពីការអប់រំក្មេងស្រី?

4. How do civil rights impact the opportunities you have?

តើសិទ្ធិរបស់ជនស៊ីវិលធ្វើអោយប៉ះពាល់ដល់ឱកាសទាំងឡាយដែលអ្នកមានយ៉ាងដូចម្តេចខ្លះ?

5. How does a girl’s legal status impact her opportunities?

តើសភាពស្របច្បាប់របស់ក្មេងស្រីធ្វើអោយប៉ះពាល់ដល់ឱកាសដែលនាងមានយ៉ាងដូចម្តេចខ្លះ?

6. How can individuals and organizations effect change?

តើមនុស្សទាំងឡាយ និង អង្គការនានាធ្វើអោយការផ្លាស់ប្តូរកើតឡើងបានយ៉ាងដូចម្តេច?

Additionally, here is the message from the GAD Committee: 

As Borin mentioned in his Language Corner, today (October 11th) is the International Day of the Girl Child. We encourage you all to talk it up in your communities and here are some cool resources that you can work with. If you use the Curriculum, do a Public Art Display, have an educational session or an interesting conversation with a counterpart, student, friend, host family member, etc. we want to hear about it. Let us know: pccambodia.widgad@gmail.com. Also you can find this information on the GAD blog: http://pckhmerwidgad.blogspot.com/ .

Here are some statistics: http://girlrising.pearsonfoundation.org/downloads/GR_Curriculum_Resources_STATISTICS.pdf. 

Girl Rising (http://girlrising.com/). This inspiring  film tells the stories of nine girls from across the world who have found the courage to challenge the bounds that society and circumstance placed them in, from poverty to child marriages to cultural constraints and more. Directed by Academy Award nominee Richard Robbins, this film brings the reality of the lives of young girls in the developing world to light in a powerful way. Through education, self-determination, and unconquerable spirit, these young women are changing their lives and helping others do the same.

One of the nine girls is Sokha. “This is not the end. It is the beginning.” Sokha was a Cambodian child of the dump: orphaned and forced to pick through garbage to survive. But, through a series of miracles, Sokha finds her way to school – and, like a phoenix, she has risen to become a star student on the brink of a brilliant and once unimaginable future. Sokha's story is written by Loung Ung. Loung is one of the most powerful voices to emerge from modern Cambodia. An orphan of the Khmer Rouge, she fled Pol Pot's brutal regime at the age of 10. Loung's bestselling memoirs have brought home the tragedy of Cambodia for millions of readers. Through the lens of her own extraordinary experience, she speaks directly to the fractured reality of her country as the past continues to reverberate through the present.

WHAT CAN YOU DO? 

There is a Girl Rising Curriculum! http://girlrising.pearsonfoundation.org/?id10x10=E003622C34F5F884 for 5th graders all the way to college students. Although the curriculum has some focus on 2 stories of girls from Nepal and Peru, the curriculum can be adapted to focus on the Khmer part of the film. The film will be available at our post soon, but don't let that stop you from doing activities now (or whenever). The film is not in Khmer unfortunately - a great resources for you English Teachers maybe! You can also use this curriculum without showing the film and adapting the lessons to be discussion based. 

Create your own event and get resources to help! http://10x10act.org/idg/ and register at that site!