Empowered Girls,
Empowered Futures

International Day of the Girl
Theme: “Empowered Girls, Empowered Future”
October 8, 2026
Istanbul

October 11 was declared the International Day of the Girl by the United Nations General Assembly in order to draw attention to girls’ rights, encourage the elimination of inequalities and discrimination faced by girls, and build global awareness toward strengthening the opportunities required for them to fulfill their potential.

In the events we have organized on the occasion of International Day of the Girl since 2015, we have addressed various topics such as inclusive and quality education, the prevention of child marriage, empowering girls through science, art, and sports, invisible inequalities, technology and artificial intelligence, as well as leadership and volunteerism. While focusing on a different subject each year, our common goal has been to support girls’ equal access to rights and opportunities and to make visible their role in shaping their own futures and the future of societies.

In 2026, we celebrate International Day of the Girl with a special gathering that brings to light the accumulated knowledge and transformation generated by these efforts. This year’s theme has been determined in line with the title of the “Empowered Girls, Empowered Future” project, carried out by the Aydın Doğan Foundation with the support of the European Union.

As the project will be completed in January 2027, the 2026 International Day of the Girl will not merely be an awareness event raising issues faced by girls; it will also serve as a gathering where experiences gained, models developed, young women reached, and the work of non-governmental organizations throughout the project will be shared, good practices will be highlighted, and a joint discussion on the future will be held.

Empowerment: From education to skills, opportunity to impact

The empowerment of girls is not limited solely to providing them with access to education. While education is a fundamental prerequisite for empowering girls, to carry the gains achieved from education into other areas of life, opportunities for skill development, mentorship, role models, social networks, access to economic resources, and participation in decision-making processes must also be addressed together.

Global studies also show that this approach is increasingly being adopted. UNICEF addresses the empowerment of girls not only through STEM and digital skills, but also alongside areas such as problem-solving, negotiation, communication, self-confidence, life skills, and social entrepreneurship¹.

This approach requires viewing girls not merely as individuals receiving support, but as agents of change who can utilize their skills, make their own decisions, access resources, and contribute to social transformation. Within this framework, beyond increasing girls’ access to educational opportunities, it reveals the need for holistic empowerment models that enable them to develop their skills, access networks supporting their transition to working life, reach economic resources, and realize their own projects. At the same time, strengthening the institutional and technical capacities of non-governmental organizations working toward girls and gender equality stands out as a critical need in terms of building sustainable and effective empowerment models.

For all these reasons, we believe that investments made in empowering girls and ensuring gender equality are not merely investments in individuals, but investments in the future of more inclusive, egalitarian, and sustainable societies.

Within this holistic approach, volunteering for projects that create social impact emerges as an important avenue supporting the empowerment of girls and young women. Volunteering enables young women to acquire new skills, connect with different people and communities, assume responsibility, and gain experience in fields where they can create social value. It also supports young women to gain experience as actors who generate ideas, take initiative, contribute to decision-making processes, and take on responsibilities, rather than simply participating in existing activities. In this regard, while strengthening young women’s sense of self-confidence, belonging, competence, and impact, volunteering creates a significant space where they can cultivate their leadership skills and generate future opportunities and solutions.

The Empowered Girls, Empowered Futures Needs Assessment conducted by the Aydın Doğan Foundation in 2024 to identify the needs of young women and non-governmental organizations yielded findings that support this approach. 80.8% of the girls and young women participating in the research revealed that they consider participation in volunteer activities to play a critical role in reaching their social, academic, professional, and economic goals, and view it as an indispensable element for acquiring leadership skills².

“Empowered Girls, Empowered Future”: Learning, producing, and transforming together

Empowered Girls, Empowered Future project, carried out by the Aydın Doğan Foundation with the support of the European Union, was launched in line with this holistic approach toward the empowerment of girls and young women.

Within the scope of the project, various support mechanisms - such as face-to-face and online training, youth camps, mentorship, and micro-grants - have been brought together so that girls and young women can develop their knowledge and skills, strengthen their leadership capacity, participate more effectively in social and economic life, and realize their potential. At the same time, the project aims to build the capacity of non-governmental organizations and strengthen young women’s participation in initiatives that create social impact.

Because empowered girls do not only empower their own tomorrows; they empower the tomorrows of us all.

The event, it is aimed at bringing together representatives of the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye, United Nations agencies, young women who have contributed their own stories to shaping the Empowered Girls, Empowered Future journey, non-governmental organizations, experts, role models, and various stakeholders.

Through this gathering, we aim to share the story co-created throughout the project in the field of empowering girls and young women, the gains achieved, the good practices and experiences that have emerged; and jointly evaluate the necessary steps and areas of collaboration for the upcoming period.

The 2026 International Day of the Girl event will therefore not be limited to sharing the number of individuals and institutions reached by the project. The event will serve as a space for sharing and learning where the transformation produced within the scope of the project, the contributions of different stakeholders, and the voices of young women are made visible.