10-year-old Turkish girl addresses UN General Assembly

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A 10-year-old Turkish girl took the podium of the U.N. General Assembly on Feb. 10 to deliver a short speech as part of the Feb. 11 International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

Talya Özdemir gave a five-minute speech at the General Assembly as part of the meeting titled “Gender, Science and Sustainable Development: The Impact of the Media,” organized for the commemoration day of women and girls participating in science.

The meeting was observed by a number of participants representing their countries worldwide as well as representatives of NGOs. Speaking in the first session of the meeting on “Girls for Girls in Science,” Özdemir expressed pride in Turkey, where she said the role of women in the fields of medicine, engineering, and sciences stood high.

She also called on the media to devote more coverage to the successes of women in science as well as the problems faced by refugee women.

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science has been celebrated for two years under the U.N. sponsorship thanks to the efforts of the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT), led by Princess Dr. Nisreen El-Hashemite, the granddaughter of former Iraqi King, Faisal I.

El-Hashemite also spoke during the event, describing Özdemir’s speech as “inspiring.”