A threat to girls’ education is a threat to progress. All girls should have the opportunity to gain the skills, knowledge and confidence to break the cycle of poverty, raise healthier families, and help build their communities.
62 million girls are out of school around the world, most of them are
adolescents. In some countries, fewer than 10% of teenage girls complete secondary
school. Barriers to girls receiving an education are significant. Some girls risk violent attacks each time she attempts
to attend class. Some mother’s cannot afford a uniform or school fees. Some
girls are denied an education because of the circumstances of her birth or the
customs of her community. Many girls cannot attend school simply because they
are girls or because of childhood marriage (many are forced to marry before the
age of 15).
When
a girl receives a quality education, she is more likely to earn a decent
living, raise a healthy and educated family and improve the quality of life for
herself, her family and her community. There is also a direct correlation
between a girls attendance in secondary school and later marriage, later childbearing,
lower maternal and infant mortality rates, lower birth rates, lower rates of
HIV/AIDs and significantly higher earning power.
The Let Girls Learn initiative is a government program, led by First Lady Michelle Obama, that addresses
these challenges by ensuring adolescent girls get the education they deserve. The program collaborates with other advocacy programs such as the Peace Corps and USAID to help encourage and support communities to reduce barriers that prevent
adolescent girls from completing their education.
As part of the Let Girls Learn initiative, Michelle Obama announced a new partnership between
the United States and United Kingdom to improve girls' access to education
around the world. The $200 million collaboration is set to help enroll girls and
boys who are currently not in school, motivate parents and communities to
support girls staying in school, and improve materials and teaching methods.
The
first projects will help 450,000 children in the Democratic Republic of Congo
get a primary school education. Special attention and a portion of the
funds will
be devoted "to countries affected by conflict and crisis," with the
Democratic Republic of the Congo set to receive $180 million over five years,
benefiting "more than 755,000 girls aged 10 to 18," according to the
press release.
The
partnership also encourages the collaboration of other advocacy organizations.
The U.S. Peace Corps and U.K.'s Campaign for Female Education has already
committed to assist by sharing their knowledge and practices.
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Women
