Joanne Froggatt poses with her award for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series or TV Movie for her role in “Downton Abbey” backstage at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California January 11, 2015. (Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters)

A Chinese future bride has her friends playing with her dress during a pre-wedding photoshoot in front of the Eiffel tower in Paris, France, August 28, 2015. As young Chinese become wealthier, they take abroad the tradition of taking their wedding photos days before they are married, rather than on their wedding day. (Photo by Philippe Wojazer/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)

Revelers gather on a commuter train platform of the HVV city public transportation system to drink alcohol on September 30, 2011 in Hamburg, Germany. Thousands of people participated in the event dubbed the “HVV Abschiedstrinken” (HVV Farewell Drink) that was organized through Facebook and is meant to celebrate the last day before a ban on alcohol consumption goes into effect on the city's public transport. (Photo by Joern Pollex/Getty Images)

Shannon McGurgan (Bottom), Farhad Ahadi (Middle) and Malia Walsh (Top) perform the Circus Trick Tease on stage at a media call ahead of the inaugural Melbourne Circus Festival on September 23, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia. The National Institute of Circus Arts will showcase artists from around the world during the first ever circus festival in Melbourne from September 26 – October 2. (Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images)

Actor Rarmian Newton who plays the character Hiccup rides Toothless during a scene run through of the “How to Train Your Dragon Arena Spectacular” at Hisense Arena on March 7, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

In this November 17, 2014 photo, Pancho, a domesticated huitia, confronts a camera, in Bainoa, Cuba. With their rope-like, dark tails, long front teeth, and whiskers that appear to be vibrating, huitias look like giant rats. They measure nearly a foot long (about 30 centimeters), with the largest ones weighing in bigger than a small dog. (Photo by Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo)