I
strongly believe that no society can progress without giving women their birth
right to education- so I feel a duty to spread awareness about the topic, and I
hope that you do too. xo
62 million girls around the world are not in school.
These girls have diminished economic opportunities, and are more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, early marriage, and other forms of violence.
Educating girls can break cycles of poverty in just one generation.
Educated girls stand up for their rights, marry and have children later, educate their own children, and their families and communities thrive. Countries with more girls in secondary school tend to have lower maternal and infant mortality rates, lower rates of HIV/AIDS and better child nutrition. In addition:
- For every extra year a girl stays in school, her income can increase by 10 to 20%.
- When a girl in the developing world receives seven years of education, she marries four years later and has 2.2 fewer, yet healthier children.
- If all women completed primary education, there would be 66% fewer maternal deaths.
- Every year of secondary school education is correlated with an 18 percent increase in a girl’s future earning power.
Not only does every child has the right to an education, but investing in formal education yields high social and economic return, increasing economic growth and sustainable development in less progressive nations.
Yet millions of girls around the world face barriers that stand in the way of girls receiving the quality education they deserve. Most of these obstacles are unthinkable to a lot of us, but for girls in developing countries, they are a daily reality. Removing such barriers means not only a better life for girls, but a safer, healthier and more prosperous world for all. Some of the most common barriers between a girl and her schooling are:- Child, early and forced marriage
- Poverty
- Lack of transportation
- Gender based violence
- Domestic slavery
- Sex trafficking
- Poor health and nutrition
- Family care and domestic housework
- Early pregnancy
- Violence in schools
- Too far a distance to school
How you can help:
Supporting girls’ education is one of the single best investments we can make to better the world, help end poverty, save lives and unleash the endless potential of girls and their communities.
- Get involved with the Malala Fund! The Malala Fund was started by Malala Yousafzai, a young human rights activist for female education. Malala is from Swat Valley, Pakistan, where the Taliban has banned girls from attending school. In early 2009 when she was just 12 years old, she began advocating for the education of girls through her blog. In 2012 she was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman who had asked her name while she was boarding her school bus. Luckily she survived. She has since dedicated her life to advocating for the education of girls all over the world. The Malala Fund's goal is to enable girls to complete 12 years of safe, quality education by empowering girls, amplifying their voices, investing in local education leaders and programmes; and working for more resources for education and safe schools for every child.
- Raise awareness by sharing the facts with friends, family and on social media. Like I always say, spreading awareness is just as important as any hands-on work.
- Connect classrooms in the US with classrooms overseas through Peace Corps
