Sikh devotee take part in Nagar Keertan procession on the occasion of Guru Gobind Singh birth anniversary in Allahabad, India on December 29, 2016. Guru Gobind Singh, born Gobind Rai (1666 – 1708), was the 10th Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was beheaded for refusing to convert to Islam, Guru Gobind Singh was formally installed as the leader of the Sikhs at age nine, becoming the last of the living Sikh Gurus. (Photo by Prabhat Kumar Verma/Pacific Press via ZUMA Wire/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha (R) and Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana take part in the funeral procession for the late Thai king Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok on October 26, 2017 A sea of black- clad mourners massed across Bangkok' s historic heart early on October 26 as funeral rituals began for King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a revered monarch whose passing after a seven- decade reign has left Thailand bereft of its only unifying figure. (Photo by Damir Sagolj/Reuters)

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)

Indian dancers perform a fire breathing act during a procession to mark the 661st anniversary of the birth of Hindu guru Bawa Lal Dayal Maharaj in Amritsar on February 9, 2016. Bawa Lal Dayal Maharaj, a popular leader of his time, is especially revered by devotees of a temple in the town of Dhyanpur, some 45 kms north of Amritsar. (Photo by Narinder Nanu/AFP Photo)

In this May 3, 2016 photo provided by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, a deer with its head caught in the globe from a lighting fixture over its head stands in the woods in Centereach, N.Y. The deer was able to extricate itself with the help of Environmental Conservation Officer, Jeff Hull. Hull wrestled with the deer for a while and the globe shook free in the process. (Photo by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation via AP Photo)

“The King”, Johnathon Haddock poses for a portrait with the Garland before the procession during “Castleton Garland Day” on May 29, 2019 in Castleton, England. The first records of Garland day date back to the 1700's and though it's true origins are not fully understood it is believed to be an ancient fertility rite with Celtic connections. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

A cat sits underneath lanterns displayed at Tai O fishing village on September 07, 2022 in Hong Kong, China. Hong Kong prepares ahead to celebrate the mid-autumn festival which is an occasion for a children's night out and family gathering with the customs of moon contemplating, a procession of star and moon-shaped lanterns, lion dance, as well as holding parties with moon cakes and fruits. (Photo by Anthony Kwan/Getty Images)

A devotee gestures after being flogged by a reveler dressed as a devil during a mass celebration of the “Talciguines” of Texistepeque, El Salvador on Easter Monday, April 3, 2023. In the Nahuatl, Talciguin means “deviled men”, a traditional procession performed during Easter monday to represent the fight against the devil of the Christian prophet Jesus Christ. (Photo by Camilo Freedman/SOPA Images/Rex Features/Shutterstock)