A couple wearing protective masks take a picture of a rose on Valentine's Day in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on February 14, 2022. (Photo by Hasnoor Hussain/Reuters)

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)

Former Mujahideen hold weapons to support Afghan forces in their fight against Taliban, on the outskirts of Herat province, Afghanistan on July 10, 2021. (Photo by Jalil Ahmad/Reuters)

Freshers partied on the streets as they headed to clubs on September 23, 2021 in Leeds, United Kingdom. Crowds of freshers headed out with their new pals to party until the early hours as Freshers Week continues across the country. (Photo by Nb press ltd)

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)

Participants of the “Still Standing for Culture” action of the cultural sector rally in Les Marolles neighborhood of Brussels, Belgium, 13 March 2021. Workers of the cultural sector along with second-hand dealers of the Jeu de Balle place gathered in Les Marolles to denounce the lack of financial support and call for solutions to the impact of the coronavirus crisis on culture professionals and the sector as a whole one year after the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns started. (Photo by Stephanie Lecocq/EPA/EFE)

A protester scuffles with a member of Israeli security forces during a demonstration in the east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah, on December 17, 2021. (Photo by Ahmad Gharabli/AFP Photo)

Cemetery workers repaint tombs inside the municipal cemetery in Navotas city, north of Manila October 29, 2015. Filipinos are preparing to celebrate All Saints Day on November 1 by visiting the graves of their departed loved ones. (Photo by Ezra Acayan/Reuters)