Plan paints the world pink for International Day of the Girl

Parliament Hill, The CN Tower and Niagara Falls join a long list of international monuments being lit up in pink to raise awareness of girls' rights

CANADA, Oct. 11, 2012 /CNW/ - In a rare occurrence, several iconic monuments around the world are being lit up in pink to celebrate the first-ever International Day of the Girl and to support the global Because I am a Girl initiative. The 'pinkified' monuments are a symbol of the importance of girls' rights globally and aim to empower girls across the world to transform their communities.

Monuments around the world being lit up in pink include:

• Parliament Hill - Ottawa, Canada
• CN Tower - Toronto, Canada
• Niagara Falls - Niagara Falls, Canada
• Empire State Building - New York, U.S.A.
• London Eye - London, U.K.
• Sony Center (at Potsdamer Platz) - Berlin, Germany
• Purana Qila (Old Fort) - Delhi, India
• Humayun's Tomb - Delhi, India
• The Mermaid - Copenhagen, Denmark
• Finlandia Hall - Helsinki, Finland
• Ericsson Globe Arena  - Stockholm, Sweden
• Egyptian pyramids - Giza, Egypt

To see the iconic Canadian landmarks 'pinkified' you can visit the CN Tower from 7:15 p.m. on October 11 to 6 a.m. on October 12; Niagara Falls from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. on October 11 and Parliament Hill on October 11 from dusk until midnight. For images of the 'pinkified' monuments as they become available please visit: http://mediabank.plan-international.org/?c=9836&k=b0ec750bab.

International Day of the Girl creates an important platform to advocate for girls' rights because in the world's poorest places, girls face gender discrimination and barriers to their survival and development - like access to an education or even food - simply because they are young and female. Yet Plan's research shows that investing in the power and potential of girls will not only improve their lives, but the lives of everyone around them, lifting entire nations out of poverty.

About Plan and the 'Because I am a Girl' Initiative
Founded in 1937, Plan is one of the world's oldest and largest international development agencies, working in partnership with millions of people around the world to end global poverty. Not for profit, independent and inclusive of all faiths and cultures, Plan has only one agenda: to improve the lives of children. Because I am a Girl is Plan's global initiative to end gender inequality, promote girls' rights and lift millions of girls - and everyone around them - out of poverty. Visit www.plancanada.ca and www.becauseiamagirl.ca for more information.

SOURCE: Plan Canada

For more information on the International Day of the Girl, please read: 
http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1050559/celebrate-the-inaugural-international-day-of-the-girl

For more information on the Because I am a Girl report, please read:
http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1050557/adolescent-girls-face-significant-barriers-to-education-because-they-re-female

For media inquiries and/or images of the monuments in pink contact:

Abigail Brown, Media and Public Relations Manager, Plan Canada
T: 416 920 1654 ext 277  |  C: 647 971 3764  |  [email protected]

Kristy Payne, Director of Strategic Communications, Plan Canada
T: 416 920 1654 ext 211  |  C: 416 568 6525  |  [email protected] 

Jennifer Ouellette, Hill+Knowlton Strategies
T: 416 413 4774 | [email protected]