[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 197 (Friday, October 13, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 71265-71267]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-22829]




                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 197 / Friday, October 13, 2023 / 
Presidential Documents

[[Page 71265]]


                Proclamation 10652 of October 10, 2023

                
International Day of the Girl, 2023

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                On International Day of the Girl, we recognize that 
                when every girl around the world has the opportunity to 
                realize her potential, the possibilities for our future 
                are limitless.

                Girls are dreamers and doers leading our world 
                forward--growing up to become changemakers, innovators, 
                entrepreneurs, service members, activists, public 
                servants, and so much more. When we empower girls and 
                ensure they have the resources they need to thrive, 
                countries and economies are stronger, and the entire 
                world is more secure. Yet in far too many places, girls 
                are still being denied equal opportunity, prohibited 
                from contributing to their communities and deprived of 
                the freedom to pursue their dreams without violence and 
                intimidation.

                That is why my Administration puts women and girls at 
                the heart of everything we do. I established the White 
                House Gender Policy Council to advance gender equity 
                and equality across all domestic and foreign policy. I 
                released the first-ever United States National Strategy 
                on Gender Equity and Equality, which provides a road 
                map to advance the economic security, safety, health, 
                and well-being of women and girls at home and around 
                the world.

                Every girl in America deserves an equal shot at 
                fulfilling her highest aspirations and setting a strong 
                foundation for the future often begins in the 
                classroom. That is why my Administration has secured a 
                historic $130 billion for America's K-12 schools and 
                invested $39 billion in colleges and universities. 
                Funding from our American Rescue Plan has put more 
                teachers in our classrooms and more counselors, social 
                workers, and other staff in our schools and is 
                providing high-quality tutoring; supporting record 
                expansion of summer and after-school programming; 
                improving air quality in schools and addressing 
                environmental and safety needs in aging school 
                buildings; and providing a wide range of student 
                supports.

                We are also working to ensure that we tackle the mental 
                health crisis, which is taking a toll on our Nation's 
                kids--especially girls. The American Rescue Plan made 
                our country's biggest-ever investment in mental health 
                and substance use programs--including resources to 
                recruit, train, and support more providers at the State 
                and local levels, including in our schools. We are also 
                working to increase the number of school psychologists 
                and mental health counselors available to our kids to 
                make it easier for schools to bill Medicaid to deliver 
                health services, including mental health care, and to 
                expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health 
                Clinics that deliver 24/7 care to those in need, 
                regardless of their ability to pay.

                Young women have also demanded that our Nation do 
                better to protect us all from the scourge of gun 
                violence. Last year, I signed the Nation's first major 
                gun safety law in nearly 30 years to prevent gun 
                violence, increase access to mental health care, and 
                save lives. We established the first-ever White House 
                Office of Gun Violence Prevention to build upon these 
                measures.

[[Page 71266]]

                My Administration also remains committed to ending 
                gender-based violence, a human rights issue that 
                undermines the safety, security, and dignity of girls 
                everywhere. This includes taking steps to address the 
                harmful impacts of social media on young people and 
                responding to online harassment and abuse, which 
                disproportionately impacts youth, particularly girls. 
                In my State of the Union Address, I called on the 
                Congress to pass legislation that strengthens our 
                children's privacy and online safety. We have worked 
                with the Congress to reauthorize and strengthen the 
                Violence Against Women Act, and we recently released a 
                National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence--our 
                country's first Government-wide plan to prevent and 
                address sexual violence, intimate partner violence, 
                stalking, and other forms of gender-based violence. We 
                will continue supporting the rights of all women and 
                girls--including transgender women and girls and all 
                members of the LGBTQI+ community--across the Nation.

                The United States is committed to empowering girls 
                globally. Last year, we requested a historic doubling 
                of foreign assistance to promote gender equity 
                globally--to provide a record $2.6 billion in 1 year, 
                including investments in the health, education, and 
                empowerment of girls and young women--and I am pleased 
                to say we have not only met but exceeded that request. 
                Additionally, we are supporting equitable access to 
                health care. We are working to improve access to 
                education with a goal of reaching 15 million girls and 
                young women by 2025. We are continuing to advance the 
                efforts outlined in our updated United States Strategy 
                to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence 
                Globally.

                Today, I am reminded of a message First Lady Jill Biden 
                delivered to girls everywhere at an event honoring the 
                Secretary of State's International Women of Courage 
                awardees: ``When you learn and explore, when you raise 
                your voice, when you move through the world with your 
                shoulders back and your head held high, step by step, 
                you shift the ground beneath you . . . And as you take 
                those steps, as you grow into the women you will be, 
                remember: You are never alone.'' On International Day 
                of the Girl, let us renew this commitment. Let us 
                continue to build a future worthy of the abilities and 
                ambitions of all girls--one with no limit to how far 
                their dreams and talents can carry them.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 11, 
                2023, as International Day of the Girl. I call upon the 
                people of the United States to observe this day with 
                programs, ceremonies, and policies that advance equity 
                and opportunity for girls everywhere.

[[Page 71267]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                eighth.
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[FR Doc. 2023-22829
Filed 10-12-23; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P