Miss USA, Olivia Culpo, appears on stage during the Miss Universe Pageant at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 19, 2012. Olivia Culpo was crowned Miss Universe 2012, beating out beauties from around the world to claim the coveted title. The title of first runner-up title went to the contestant from the Philippines, Janine Tugonon. (Photo by Joe Klamar/AFP Photo)

Miss Jamaica Kaci Fennell (L) and Miss Colombia Paulina Vega (L) compete during the swimsuit competition at the 2014 Miss Universe Final at the FIU Arena in Miami, USA, 25 January 2015. (Photo by Rhona Wise/EPA)

Horses are seen before they are evacuated from a ranch as a wildfire is burning along a hillside in Azusa, Calif., Monday, June 20, 2016. New wildfires erupted Monday near Los Angeles and chased people from their suburban homes as an intense heatwave stretching from the West Coast to New Mexico blistered the region. (Photo by Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP Photo)

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)

Women walk in the strong winds from Typhoon Guchol in Nagoya, Japan on June 19, 2012. The storm lashed southwestern Japan with strong winds and heavy rain as it moved toward the center of the country, forcing airlines and train operators to cancel services amid warnings of flooding and landslides. (Photo by Kyodo News)

This aerial photo taken on December 28, 2018 shows commercial and residential buildings in Hong Kong. (Photo by Dale De La Rey/AFP Photo)

Steve McCurry has been a photojournalist for over 30 years. He is the recipient of the Robert Capa Gold Medal, the National Press Photographers Award and four first prize awards in the World Press Photo contest. Photo: Afghanistan. (Photo by Steve McCurry)

Jakelyne Oliveira, Miss Brazil 2013 performs onstage during the Miss Universe 2013 preliminary competition in Moscow, Russia, 05 November 2013. The final of the 2013 Miss Universe Pageant will take place at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow on 09 November. (Photo by Sergei Ilnitsky/EPA)