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)

People attend the C2H4 catwalk show at London Fashion Week Men's in London, Britain January 6, 2019. (Photo by Henry Nicholls/Reuters)

An Okinawan woman in a kimono checks her phone before attending a ceremony on Coming of Age Day on January 13, 2019 in Okinawa City, Japan. Coming of Age Day is a Japanese holiday held every January to celebrate people who have reached 20 – the official age of adulthood in Japan. Despite being a solemn affair in some parts of Japan, Okinawans have become known for their flamboyant and occasionally boisterous celebrations. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

A child gets his head shaved by a Buddhist monk during a ceremony to prepare children to live as Buddhist monks for three weeks at Jogyesa Temple on May 09, 2023 in Seoul, South Korea. As part of the celebration of Buddha's birthday, young children are annually invited to become Buddhist monks for a three-week period. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

People take pictures with cherry blossoms in a park on March 23, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images)

Australia's Nina Kennedy competes in the women's pole vault final at a Diamond League event in Florence, Italy on June 2, 2023. (Photo by Remo Casilli/Reuters)

Australian surfer Sally Fitzgibbons rides a wave during the 2023 ISA World Surfing Games at the El Tunco beach in El Salvador on June 6, 2023. (Photo by Marvin Recinos/AFP Photo)

Filipino children play at a fishing village along the coast of Manila Bay, Philippines, 30 May 2023. As a precaution of approaching Typhoon Mawar, Philippine government authorities have evacuated thousands of residents, imposed a no-sail ban, suspended school classes, and shutdown offices in the northern part of Luzon island, the country's largest and most populous island. (Photo by Francis R. Malasig/EPA/EFE/Rex Features/Shutterstock)