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 zookeeper wearing orangutan costume tries to escape while zookeepers hold up a net in an attempt to capture it during an Escaped Animal Drill at Tama Zoological Park in Tokyo, Japan on February 22, 2019. The annual escape drill is held to train zookeepers what to do in the event of an animal escape. This year a member of staff wearing an orangutan costume was captured and subdued with large nets, sticks and tranquilizer guns to make sure the orangutan did not get away. (Photo by Rodrigo Reyes Marin/ZUMA Wire/Alamy Live News)

The cruise ship Viking Sky as it drifts after sending a Mayday signal because of engine failure in windy conditions near Hustadvika, off the west coast of Norway, Saturday March 23, 2019. The Viking Sky is forced to evacuate its estimated 1,300 passengers. (Photo by Odd Roar Lange/NTB Scanpix via AP Photo)

Young dancers from the Style Dance Academy perform during a Mother's Day block party in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, May 19, 2019. Although Mother's Day was officially celebrated the previous weekend, people in the Petare area organized the neighborhood party to celebrate the mothers of their community. (Photo by Rodrigo Abd/AP Photo)

Anthony Joshua, right, knocks down Andy Ruiz during the third round of a heavyweight championship boxing match Saturday, June 1, 2019, in New York. Ruiz won in the seventh round. (Photo by Frank Franklin II/AP Photo)

The players of Denmark huddle prior to the FIFA Women's World Cup qualifier match between Denmark and Sweden at Viborg Stadion on September 4, 2018 in Viborg, Denmark. (Photo by Lars Ronbog/FrontZoneSport via Getty Images)

A man with henna-dyed hair rests on a road near the port area in Karachi, Pakistan on July 3, 2019. (Photo by Akhtar Soomro/Reuters)

Model Elise Daniels dons a Balenciaga suit while surrounded by street performers in Paris, France in 1948. (Photo by Richard Avedon/Victoria and Albert Museum London/The Guardian)