Save the Children has announced that actress and Artist Ambassador Dakota Fanning will light the world-famous Empire State Building red on Tuesday, Oct. 11 in a special ceremony celebrating International Day of the Girl.
Marked globally by the United Nations, International Day of the Girl is a designated day for communities and policymakers to discuss how to end discrimination against girls and create opportunities for girls to reach their full potential. Worldwide, girls are frequently marginalized in their families, communities and societies. By lighting the Empire State Building red, Save the Children aims to raise awareness of these issues and illuminate the need to educate and empower girls around the world.
Fanning will be joined by Carolyn Miles, Save the Children’s president & CEO, a group of girls from the New York tri-state area, who are Save the Children child sponsors, and a sponsored girl from South Carolina. On Oct. 11, the Empire State Building will light up beginning at sunset to recognize girls and the unique challenges they face globally.
“I am so honored to join these young girls and Save the Children in celebrating International Day of the Girl,” said Fanning, known for roles in notable films such as “I Am Sam,” “The Runaways,” “The Twilight Saga” and the upcoming “American Pastoral.” “As a child sponsor and Artist Ambassador, I am a passionate advocate for the world’s most vulnerable children, and girls in particular are at risk of being left behind. New York holds a special place in my heart, and there’s really no better way to honor girls and bring attention to the obstacles they face worldwide than by lighting up one of the world’s most iconic landmarks.”
Too often, girls are barred from the opportunity to learn, forced into marriage or even trafficked – limiting their lives and risking their futures. Save the Children believes it is possible to build a world in which every girl survives, thrives and realizes her dreams.
“Save the Children is committed to making a difference for every last girl,” said Carolyn Miles, president & CEO of Save the Children. “Throughout the world, girls face higher rates of violence, poverty and discrimination. On the ladder of opportunity, girls are often left behind on the bottom rung. That’s why today – and every day – Save the Children is shining a light on girls. We are thrilled to celebrate International Day of the Girl with the help of Dakota Fanning, some of our powerful girl supporters and the Empire State Building. Together, we’ll do whatever it takes to empower the world’s girls so they can grow up healthy, educated and safe.”
Save the Children believes that reaching girls is a critical component of ending early marriage, preventable maternal and child deaths and ensuring our collective future. The Save the Children sponsorship program, in particular, helps provide girls and boys with the necessities for a healthy and successful start to their life – nutrition, early childhood and adolescent development, education and school health. To join Fanning as a child sponsor and learn more, click here.
