'Pokemon Go' Adds Shiny Female Nidoran for "Day of Girls" Holiday

Pokemon Go has added three new Shiny Pokemon as part of a mini-event to celebrate a UN-sponsored international day of observance to raise awareness of gender inequality.

Earlier today, Pokemon Go announced a surprise mini-event that added increased spawns of female versions of certain Pokemon. The 24-hour mini-event will specifically feature increased spawns of female Nidoran and their evolutions, along with female Pikachu, Clefairy, and Wobbuffet.

The main draw of the event is the addition of Shiny versions of female Nidoran and its evolutions in the wild. Both Shiny female Nidoran and Shiny Nidorina have a similar shade of pink fur as its male counterpart, while Shiny Nidoqueen has green skin instead of blue. The new event will only last for 24 hours, ending tomorrow at 4 PM ET.

Trainers, a greater number of female Pokémon have now been spotted in the wild until October 12 at 1 p.m. PDT. Keep an eye out, as lucky Trainers might also spot a Shiny Nidoran♀, Nidorina, or Nidoqueen 👑 ! Enjoy searching for Nidoran♀ and friends on this special day! pic.twitter.com/LJdTKdNNj8

— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) October 11, 2018

Past mini-events involving Shiny Pokemon have usually featured increased Shiny rates, but it's unclear whether this event will follow suit.

So why is Pokemon Go suddenly having a mini-event involving female Pokemon? Well, today is the International Day of the Girl Child, an international day of observance founded by the United Nations. The event supports more opportunities for girls and raises awareness of gender inequality issues. Each year has a separate theme and countries hold thousands of events worldwide. This year's theme for the "Day of Girls" is "With Her: A Skilled Girl Force."

Pokemon Go is also hosting a Psychic-type event that goes on through next week. The game has also teased the addition of new Pokemon from Pokemon Diamond and Pearl in the very near future.