More than 100 million women are believed to be "missing" from the world today and at least two million girls disappear each year.
The cause of these disappearances is linked to gender discrimination in the earliest stages of life.
In many parts of the developing world, healthcare and education for girls is not a priority.
Which puts them at risk for premature death, falling prey to traffickers, becoming the victims of violence and worse.
In the wake of other global tragedies like war, natural disaster, hunger and disease, this type of discrimination is often dismissed as "cultural" and nearly impossible to overcome.