Miss Vanjie performs during the LA Pride 2019 on June 09, 2019 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

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 man walks near a boat which has capsized due to strong winds in Istanbul on November 30, 2021. Strong winds continue to blow across Istanbul where the Bosphorus strait is temporarily closed to boat traffic. Four people were killed and dozens injured on Monday in Istanbul, which was hit by high winds. (Photo by Yasin Akgul/AFP Photo)

imena Dominguez of Venezuela competes with the ball in the rhythmic gymnastics on day one of Sky Grace Cup Internationa Rhythmic Gymnastics Tournament at Beijing Shougang Ice Hockey Stadium on November 12, 2025 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

Irina Shayk posed on a unique bathroom set at Magazine London after walking in the Mowala SS25 catwalk show on September 16, 2024. The supermodel stunned in a bold, avant-garde outfit made entirely of blonde hair. (Photo by Lensi Photography/Splash News and Pictures)

A view of a turtle during an event at the Ministry of Environment in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 24 June 2020. A Cambodian woman recently bought endangered Royal Turtles from local villagers and gave them to Ministry of Environment. (Photo by Kith Serey/EPA/EFE)

Patrick Fellows #21, Allan McShane #26, Carson Edwardson #8 and Shaun Bily #23 of the Erie Otters sit on the bench during the first period of an OHL game against the Niagara IceDogs at the Meridian Centre on October 6, 2016 in St Catharines, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

Team Japan competes during the team free preliminaries of artistic swimming at the 19th FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (Photo by Anna Szilagyi/AP Photo)