From the slight smile on Yefreannys Isamar Muñoz López's face, it might be a surprise to learn that she is working on math equations with her dad. The photo was made after they had trekked hundreds of miles from Venezuela to the United States-Mexico border, awaiting their immigration appointment.

Yefreannys is one of many girls whom Danielle Villasana has met as a photojournalist working around the world over the last decade, capturing images that show how girls and young women persist in spite of the issues and inequalities they face.

Villasana remembers: "She was just so happy, so full of joy, not complaining, not upset."

It's a picture that resonates on October 11 – the International Day of the Girl on the United Nations calendar of special days. Dedicating a day to girls, according

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