On October 11, USA judo kicked off its “Celebrating Women in Judo” campaign with videos on International Day of the Girl Child.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEOS

USA judo declared: “Our thanks to all these female judokas who shared their videos and the positive impact that Judo has made in their lives and their sentiments about Rena 'Rusty' Kanokogi who fought for the inclusion of women in Judo. Please share these powerful stories with other women who may be looking for something like Judo to boost their self-confidence, strength, physical fitness and more."

In 1995 at the World Conference on Women in Beijing, countries unanimously adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing the rights of not only women but girls. The Beijing Declaration is the first to specifically call out girls’ rights.

On December 19, 2011, 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.

In 2020, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first Women's World Championships held in New York city in 1980

The International Day of the Girl Child focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.

Adolescent girls have the right to a safe, educated, and healthy life, not only during these critical formative years, but also as they mature into women. If effectively supported during the adolescent years, girls have the potential to change the world – both as the empowered girls of today and as tomorrow’s workers, mothers, entrepreneurs, mentors, household heads, and political leaders. An investment in realising the power of adolescent girls upholds their rights today and promises a more equitable and prosperous future, one in which half of humanity is an equal partner in solving the problems of climate change, political conflict, economic growth, disease prevention, and global sustainability.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by world leaders in 2015, embody a roadmap for progress that is sustainable and leaves no one behind.

Achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment is integral to each of the 17 goals. Only by ensuring the rights of women and girls across all the goals will we get to justice and inclusion, economies that work for all, and sustaining our shared environment now and for future generations.

Among the participants in the USA judo initiative were Jean Kanokogi, the daughter of Rena “Rusty” Kanokogi, who organised the first Women's World Championships in 1980, Marti Malloy, World and Olympic Medallist, Hannah Martin, still active on the World Judo Tour and many other women and girls.

See also