The problem:


A Girl’s Country

With the amount of girls not in school across the globe, it would be equivalent to the 10th largest country in the world. Nowhere in the world do women have equal opportunities compared to men. The first step to balancing the playing field begins with access to education.

“The surest way to keep people down is to educate the men and neglect the women. If you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a nation”

Dr. James Emmanuel Kwegyir Aggrey

92p per day

The cost of a 12-year education (92p per day), in the poorest countries, is less than a packet of biscuits. Clearly, the benefits in educating girls outweigh the costs and it is unlikely you will ever find an investment which can change the world more significantly.


Statistics

The numbers behind the global crisis affecting millions of girls.




60

percent of women with no education were married before they reached 18.

130

million girls out of school worldwide.

496

million illiterate women.

550

million hours per day spent on household chores worldwide by girls.

What happens when a girl is educated?

When a girl is educated, she gains her own independence and becomes empowered to fulfil her true potential. Educated girls tend to marry at a later age and, if they choose to have children, their children will be 50% more likely to survive past the age of 5. They are healthier and live longer, being less vulnerable to violence and abuse, as well as diseases like HIV. They earn higher incomes and can subsequently support their families and begin to lead their communities out of poverty. On a national scale, gender gaps in employment and education begin to lessen and, not only that, but educating girls cultivates more potential doctors, teachers and leaders, which means improved healthcare and education for the entire country.

Girl looking up

Why aren't girls in school?

6 reasons why girls are being denied education worldwide.


Young bride
CHILD MARRIAGE Child marriage is one of the biggest issues
preventing girls from getting an education.
Every year 15 million girls are married before
they reach age 18. Child marriage often
means the end to a girl's
formal education.
Children learning
LITTLE TO NO FUNDING Funding for girl's education is often an afterthought
with education for girls being not being a priority.
Often male siblings will be given the chance to go to
school before their sisters.
Young girl working outside
DOMESTIC LABOUR Girls often have to look after their siblings
and stay at home to do housework and chores.
They may also have to work in agriculture and usually
begin working at a very young age.
Children in war zone
LIVING IN WAR ZONES Many schools in war zones are targeted for attacks,
meaning parents are scared to send their daughters
to school. Girls living in conflict zones are
90% more likely to be out of secondary school.
Teenage girl
VIOLENCE AT SCHOOL Violence at school is one of the main reasons for
girls dropping out of school. Lack of a safe learning
environment means that girls are more at risk of gender based violence as well as
sexual harassment and abuse.
Girls walking to school
DANGEROUS JOURNEYS Many girls do not attend school because of the
dangerous journeys they have to take to get there.
Girls often suffer sexual violence, harrassment,
abduction, and can be targeted by
armed groups in conflict zones.