Meg's update: March 2nd: State of the World's Girls 2008

Panel Discussion: "Because I am a Girl - In the Shadow of War".
An international panel of women experts addressed the highlights of the report, "Because I am a Girl, 2008" at the UN. The speakers examined the state of girls in conflict situations around the world, and what happens to them, before, during and after war is over. Some statistics shared were: There are about 100,000 girls among the estimated 300,000 child soldiers in the world today. In the past decade, over two million children were killed during wartime, while six million were injured and more than one million orphaned or separated from their families. Thousands of girls and young women have suffered rape and sexual abuse in times of war. At the end of 2006, there were 32.9 million refugees and internally displaced people in the world; a large number women and children. It is reported even when the actual fighting is over, young girls returning to their village are often rejected because, forced to marry while in conflict, they have born a child and are looked upon as a prostitute. The report stressed the importance of listening to Voices of the Child-Soldiers, and their ideas of how to protect themselves, and what governments and communities should do to bring about necessary healing and rehabilitation for these children of war. In the "Action Plan for Girls in Times of Conflict", articles given priority were: give girls a voice in peace processes; reform legislation so that laws are in place to protect girls and promote their rights; enforce the code of conduct for UN personnel serving in conflict zones in order to protect girls and young women.