Birth registration is a fundamental human right that can safeguard children from harm and exploitation. For girls, the lack of birth registration can be especially dangerous, as girls are already more likely to lack access to education, to face exploitation and abuse, and to be married early.
Globally, many children are not registered at birth. According to UNICEF, in 2012 alone, 57 million infants — four out of every ten babies delivered worldwide that year — did not have their births registered with civil authorities.
Birth registration is not a priority for U.S. Government development assistance programs. A bill was introduced, the Girls Count Act of 2015, that would make it official U.S. Government policy to help developing countries ensure that girls and boys of all ages are full participants in society, including birth certifications. This bill authorizes the Secretary of State and the USAID Administrator to support programs to improve Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems, with a focus on birth registration.
Take action now! Sign this petition and contact your Senators to urge them to support Birth Registration!
