October 11 marks International Day of the Girl Child – a day to recognize girls’ rights and celebrate their power to shape a better world. But this year, I find myself asking: is there truly anything to celebrate?

Around the world, governments are dramatically slashing their foreign aid budgets. The U.S. alone has reduced its foreign aid commitments by billions of dollars, and other governments, including Germany, France and the U.K., are making similar cuts.

This is a crisis, and we know that women and girls are always hit hardest during any crises. Details