Justice for Girls International

Justice for Girls International (JFGI) is a Canadian non government organization that was incorporated in May 2008 to promote the international human rights of girls around the globe. It is a sister organization to Justice for Girls.

Justice for Girls International aims to create international alliances and networks of civil society groups who will jointly advocate for the human rights of girls in their local communities and at the international level.

Our specific aims are to:

• Establish and strengthen a global network of organizations promoting the human rights of girls/young women worldwide.
• Facilitate information exchange at the international level to strengthen the ability of individual organizations across the globe to promote the human rights of girls/young women.
• Conduct public education activities domestically and internationally promoting the human rights of girls/young women.
• Justice for Girls International offers assistance to organizations wishing to document abuses of girls human rights, and can offer other organizational assistance, however JFGI does not offer funding support.

Why is global justice for girls necessary?

Girls’ marginalized status is evidenced by wide spread discrimination and conditions of inequality. This includes poor health and nutrition, economic disadvantage, systemic discrimination, and male violence. Violence against girls is a serious international concern, ranging from interfamilial sexual and physical abuse to infanticide and commercial sexual exploitation. Although public awareness of violence against girls is increasing, sexual and physical abuse, both within and outside the family, remains a prevalent and serious problem in all regions of the world.

In 2006, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs conducted a report on the elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child. The report concluded that despite the existence of an internationally agreed upon framework, girls disproportionately experience the worst human rights abuses. Pervasive patriarchal social structures and the low value attributed to minors perpetuate this rights-denial. Further oppression and discrimination – such as homophobia, racism, colonization and poverty – exacerbate the disadvantaged position girls are already in as a result of their age and gender.