These girls in Niger have painted their hands and feet with henna in preparation for the wedding of their 13 year old friend.
Life in developing countries is often harder for women and girls. They face higher levels of discrimination, abuse and violence. They often have less opportunity to participate in education and civic society. In many developing countries women are unable to own property. It's a very tough life.
Consider this:
Seventy percent of all people living in poverty are women.
Medical complications from pregnancy are the leading cause of death among girls aged 15 to 19 worldwide.
Seventy-five percent of 15 to 24 year olds living with HIV in Africa are female.
One quarter to one half of girls in developing countries become mothers before the age of 18.
But people are beginning to realise just how important women and girls are in the fight against poverty. In particular, educating women and girls often means they marry later, have fewer children and are able to find work outside of the family.
A recent report by the Center for Global Development states: "Most important, girls matter because they are human beings."
An extra year of primary school boosts girls' eventual wages by 10-20 percent.
When women and girls earn income, they reinvest 90 percent of it into their families, as compared to only 30 to 40 percent for a man.
Countries with greater gender equality tend to have lower poverty rates.
But there is something more important than all of these statistics. As a recent report, Girls Count, by the Center for Global Development, stated:
"Most important, girls matter because they are human beings. Girls have equal rights to human dignity, self-determination, freedom from violence, good health, education, and participation in economic and political life."
