As the world marks the International Day of the Girl Child, women's rights activists point to progress on a wide array of issues but say more needs to be done to protect girls from child marriage, sexual assault and other forms of exploitation. Here is a selection of pictures showing the daily lives of girls across the globe, all taken by female Associated Press photojournalists. Here: In this December 14, 2015, file photo, a young clown rides in the back of a car following a procession to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Hundreds belonging to various clown associations made their annual pilgrimage to the Basilica to pay their respects to the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico's patron saint. (Photo by Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo)

A woman selling souvenirs walks through Kuta beach in Bali June 5, 2008. Indonesia is expected to report tourist arrivals in December this week. (Photo by Murdani Usman/Reuters)

A young vendor hawks food on a market in Kara in the state of Ogun, on September 23, 2015. Nigeria imposed tight movement restrictions in the restive northeast after Boko Haram bombings that killed more than 100 raised fears of fresh attacks over the Eid al-Adha festival. The military said the use of all vehicles would be banned throughout Borno state during the Muslim festival, which is known as Sallah in Nigeria and marked with two days' public holiday from Thursday. (Photo by Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP Photo)

US Navy personnel walk on the flight deck aboard the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) aircraft carrier during its port visit to Busan on March 28, 2023. (Photo by Anthony Wallace/AFP Photo)

An aircraft passes over houses at it lands at Heathrow Airport near London, Britain, December 11, 2015. Picture taken December 11, 2015. (Photo by Neil Hall/Reuters)

Artem, a 40-year-old Ukrainian commander, shouts a warning before his artillery team fires toward Russian positions near Pokrovsk in early October 2024. (Photo by Serhiy Nuzhnenko/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

A tower belonging to the Abengoa solar plant at the Solucar solar park is seen in Sanlucar la Mayor, Spain on October 1, 2018. (Photo by Marcelo del Pozo/Reuters)

Members of the Moranbong Band from North Korea wait inside the lobby of a hotel in central Beijing, China, December 11, 2015. North Korea's premier pop group, the all-girl Moranbong band formed by leader Kim Jong-Un, is electrifying audiences in China in shows aimed at harmonising out-of-tune ties between the traditional allies, reports and the venue said on December 9 – but tickets are not available to the public. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)