It Was A Year Of Pain ... And Promise ... For The World's Girls [npr.org]

October 11 is the "International Day of the Girl" – proclaimed by the U.N. as a time to look at the challenges girls face and to promote their "empowerment" and human rights.

What kind of year has it been for girls? We looked at the stories we've done over the past year, and the headlines alone captured both the tragedies and the triumphs. In many ways a horrible year for girls. But even at the bleakest moments, there are stories of hope and triumph.

Here is a sampling of our stories about the world's girls:

[For more on this story by Marc Silver, go to http://www.npr.org/sections/go...or-the-world-s-girls]

Photo: Jenipher Sanni, a former child bride from Malawi, with the bike she used to get to and from school after she left her husband. Courtesy of Jenipher Sanni