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 masked protester talks to a soldier during clashes after the funeral of Brig. Gen. Wissam al-Hassan October 21, 2012. Lebanese soldiers fired guns and tear gas to push back hundreds of protesters who broke through a police cordon and tried to storm the government headquarters in Beirut. (Photo by Hussein Malla/Associated Press)

The Kung Fu Panda balloon is lifted before the 86th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade November 22, 2012 in New York City. Macy's donated tickets and transportation to this year's Thanksgiving Day Parade to 5,000 people from neighborhoods hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Associated Press)

A couple looks at their flooded street from behind their home's window in La Plata, in Argentina's Buenos Aires province, where at least 35 people were killed by flooding overnight, on April 3, 2013. (Photo by Natacha Pisarenko/Associated Press)

Members of the Castellers “Vila de Gracia” start forming their famous human tower called “castell” in the Barcelona neighborhood of Gracia, Catalonia, Spain on Sunday May 19 2013. A “castell” is a human tower traditionally built during festivals in many places in Catalonia. At these festivals, several "colles" or teams compete to build the most impressive towers they can. (Photo by Emilio Morenatti/Associated Press)

Hamish the polar bear tries out his new enclosure at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park at Branton, Doncaster on November 6, 2020, after moving from the Highland Wildlife Park in Scotland. Hamish was the first polar bear to be born in the UK. (Photo by Danny Lawson/PA Wire Press Association)

Lea Meyer of Team Germany falls into the water obstacle during the Women’s 3000m Steeplechase heats on day two of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 16, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Martin Rickett/PA Wire Press Association)

A giant devil figure burns during the annual celebration of the “Burning of the Devil”, a festivity associated with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception that honours the city's patron saint and marks the start of the Christmas season, at Colonia Arrivillaga in Guatemala City, Guatemala on December 7, 2024. (Photo by Cristina Chiquin/Reuters)