A photographer takes pictures as the sun rises over the city of Kronberg near Frankfurt, Germany, Monday, November 4, 2024. (Photo by Michael Probst/AP Photo)

The aerial photo taken on November 20, 2024 shows a general view of buildings during a foggy day in Yinchuan, in northern China's Ningxia region. (Photo by AFP Photo/China Stringer Network)

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)

2016 Rio Olympics, Judo, Final, Women, 48 kg Bronze Medal Contests, Carioca Arena 2, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on August 6, 2016. Otgontsetseg Galbadrakh (KAZ) of Kazakhstan and Dayaris Mestre Alvarez (CUB) of Cuba react. (Photo by Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters)

2016 Rio Olympics, Athletics, Final, Women's 200m Final, Olympic Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on August 17, 2016. Photographers take pictures of Elaine Thompson (JAM) of Jamaica after she won the gold. (Photo by Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters)

Troops of the Interior Ministry take part in a parade during a ceremony marking the Iraqi Police Day at a police academy in Baghdad January 9, 2016. (Photo by Khalid al Mousily/Reuters)

Faithful jump into the waters of Fasilides Bath as part of a ceremony in which the waters are blessed by the priest of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo church during the second day of Timket in Gondar, Ethiopia, January 20, 2016. “Timket”, the greatest Ethiopian festival of the year is to commemorate Jesus Christ's baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. (Photo by Tiksa Negeri/Reuters)

An Indian Army soldier marches next to a tableau during the Republic Day parade in New Delhi, India, January 26, 2016. India celebrated its Republic Day Tuesday, highlighted by a march by different branches of the military as well as a display of arms and missiles. (Photo by Adnan Abidi/Reuters)