Can you see me? Or am I invisible?

“To survive on the streets, girls have to join one of the hundreds of gangs in Alexandria, whose joining fee is sexual abuse by older gang members. The authorities in Alexandria believe that girls who are not virgins, who are now ‘ladies’ are automatically the responsibility of their non-existent husbands. And this blind presumption means that the girls are officially invisible, leaving them often with their own babies, at the mercy of all the predators on the street” — Marie Staunton, Chief Executive of Plan UK (quoted from the Foreword of the Because I am a Girl book).

Each country has different ideas about what makes someone a citizen or the responsibility of the government. Usually, it involves being registered at birth as a citizen of that country, or become a citizen later through immigration. Or, like we saw in the example above, for women status is sometimes determined by whether or not they have a husband. This process of registration may seem like just a formality, but in reality, it can mean the difference between being able to be seen and heard, versus being invisible.

With a birth certificate, passport, or some other official document of existence, a person is more likely to be able to access essential human rights. You need documentation to go to school, take exams, go to university, get married, get a job, get health care, vote, get a driving license, or open a bank account.

Each year, approximately 51 million children go unregistered, leaving them vulnerable to child labour, informal work, trafficking, sexual exploitation, and becoming a child bride or a child soldier. Women, who already face considerable challenges making them selves seen and heard, are particularly susceptible without documentation.

Imagine if you weren’t able to get your drivers licence, or travel outside of Canada, or graduate from grade 12, all because the piece of paper that said you existed didn’t exist. I bet you would stand up and yell, BUT I AM RIGHT HERE…CAN’T YOU SEE ME? Part of Because I am a Girl’s challenge is to make sure that women can claim their rights, including the right to documentation and registration. And then their rights to full and active citizenship in the world, where they can be seen, heard and counted!