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)

American singer-songwriter Miley Cyrus attends the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards, broadcast on Sunday, August 30, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Vijat Mohindra/MTV VMAs 2020/Vijat Mohindra/MTV VMAs 2020 via Getty Images)

Indian Students of Rabindra Bharati University at the BT Road Campuses Celebrates the Holi, Color Festival on March 09, 2017 in Kolkata.Holi, the popular Hindu spring festival of colours is observed in India at the end of the winter season on the last full moon of the lunar month, and will be celebrated on March 13 this year. (Photo by Debajyoti Chakraborty/NurPhoto)

Barcelona's Caroline Graham Hansen, center, in action during the women's Champions League quarterfinals, second leg, soccer match between FC Barcelona and SK Brann Kvinner at the Estadi Johan Cruyff in Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, March 28, 2024. (Photo by Joan Monfort/AP Photo)

A curious trio of owl monkeys peep out of a tree hollow on the Marañón River near the city of Nauta, Peru in April 2024. (Photo by James Cai/Solent News)

Farmers play with mud as they plant rice on “National Paddy Day of Nepal” in Dhading district on June 29, 2024. (Photo by Prakash Mathema/AFP Photo)

The 12th round of the 2024 Motocross World Championship got under way in Lombok, Indonesia, on July 07, 2024. Jeffrey Herlings of the Netherlands won the round, and there are eight more to go. (Photo by IPA/Splash News and Pictures/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Steph Wood of the Lightning shoots as Remi Kamo of the Firebirds attempts to block her shot during the round 14 Super Netball match between Sunshine Coast Lightning and Queensland Firebirds at University of Sunshine Coast Stadium, on June 18, 2023, in Sunshine Coast, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)