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 young couple rest on a bench, as a street actor wearing an Angel costume speaks on the phone in Nikolskaya street near the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, March 31, 2021. (Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP Photo)

Lola, owned by Kate Hansen, of Des Moines, Iowa, waits to be judged at the annual Drake Relays Beautiful Bulldog Contest, Monday, April 25, 2022, in Des Moines, Iowa. The pageant kicks off the Drake Relays festivities at Drake University where a bulldog is the mascot. (Photo by Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo)

On the festival of Krishna Janmashtami, a girl costumed as Lord Krishna poses for a photo in Dhaka, Bangladesh on August 19, 2022. (Photo by Nayem Shaan/ZUMA Press Wire/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

English actress, television presenter and model Kelly Brook attends the London premiere of Guy Ritchies movie “Snatch” held at the Odeon Leicester Square in London's West End, August 23, 2000. (Photo by Alan Davidson/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

The Cage of Death at Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin City, Australia. The Cage of Death starts out above the water where the two tourists in it can see the huge crocodile below before the cage is lowered into the pen. The tourists are then inches from the 16-foot-long Saltwater crocodile as it greedily snaps its jaws over meaty treats that are being dangled right in front of the cage. (Photo by Crocosaurus Cove/Media Drum World/Profimedia)

A dancer practices prior to her audition to be Rockettes for the “2023 Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes” at Radio City Music Hall in in New York City, U.S., April 20, 2023. (Photo by Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

Spot the baton: the Dutch athlete Femke Bol falls to the ground as Alexis Holmes of the US runs to victory in the mixed 4x400m relay final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary on August 19, 2023. (Photo by Márton Mónus/Reuters)