On 25 June 2008, the Brussels launch of Plan’s report, “Because I am a Girl. Special Focus: In the Shadow of War,” brought together representatives of United Nations women’s organisations UNICEF, UNIFEM, members of the the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), and the European Parliament.
Nikki van der Gaag, the report’s author, informed the EU institutions about the impact of conflict on girls, before, during, and after war.
And she spoke of how education is one of the key ways of transforming girls' lives and giving them hope for the future.
Girls themselves are asking for organisations at all levels, including the UN and their own governments, to listen to them. In their own words, “We want more opportunities to take part in making decisions that affect us... We do not want to be called in when you have already made the decisions. We want to work hand in hand with you.”
Sylvie Fouet from UNICEF argued that, “It is important to raise awareness around the players and the children themselves.”
Osnat Lubrani from UNIFEM pointed out that peace initiatives should be a central concern of the international community, so that girls can live in safety and security.
Plan presented a statement to the incoming French Presidency of the European Union. This Statement gives recommendations for how the French Presidency should use its leadership to ensure girls' rights in times of conflict.
Plan recognised the leadership role that France has taken in the past within the international community on the issue of children and armed conflict, and is calling on the French Presidency and the European Union to take all appropriate measures to raise the issue of the rights of girls affected by armed conflict higher on the global agenda.
Ms. Gomes, a member of the European Parliament, underlined the importance of these recommendations. “The French Presidency should use its influence to put the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) at the heart of the EU”, she concluded.
