Mariachi musicians prepare to perform to celebrate the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe outside the Basilica of Guadalupe in San Salvador, El Salvador December 11, 2015. (Photo by Jose Cabezas/Reuters)

A man hugs a child at the Santuario de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe during a celebration on the Virgin of Guadalupe Day in Guatemala City, December 12, 2015. According to Catholic believers, December 12 marks the anniversary of the apparition of the Virgin of Guadalupe at the Cerro del Tepeyac in Mexico. (Photo by Jorge Dan Lopez/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)

A Geoffroy's Monk Saki is seen at the Parque de Las Leyendas zoo in Lima, Peru, February 14, 2018. (Photo by Guadalupe Pardo/Reuters)

Clowns take part in the annual pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady Guadalupe to pay homage to the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico City December 16, 2014. Dressed in colourful costumes, hundreds of clowns from all over Mexico walked towards the Basilica to give thanks to the virgin for the work they have received. (Photo by Carlos Jasso/Reuters)

Coco, a dog dressed as Chucky, participates in a halloween pet show in Callao, Peru, Sunday, October 27, 2024. (Photo by Guadalupe Pardo/AP Photo)

A car mechanic repairs a tire hoop at the Nicolini Collection Car Museum in Lima, Peru June 1, 2017. (Photo by Guadalupe Pardo/Reuters)

A clown checks her phone as she waits outside the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Mexico City, Monday, December 14, 2015. Hundreds of clowns belonging to various clown associations made their annual pilgrimage to the Basilica on Monday to pay their respects to the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico's patron saint. (Photo by Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo)