Education of girls
“If you educate a man, you educate an individual, if you educate a woman, you educate a nation.”
Some 130 million girls around the world between the ages of 6 and 17 are still not in school —75 percent of whom are adolescents. As a society we need to change that.
Girls’ education yields some of the highest returns of all development investments, yielding both private and social benefits that accrue to individuals, families, and society. Here are just some:
- Reduction of child and maternal mortality
- Improvement of child nutrition and health
- Lower birth rates
- Enhancement of women’s domestic role and their political participation
- Improvement of the economic productivity and growth
- Protection of girls from HIV/AIDS, abuse and exploitation
- Every $1 spent on girls’ rights and education would generate a $2.80-return
Educate Girls is an organization based in India, works with government schools to develop educational models and access in “educationally backward” areas of the country. Founded by Safeena Husain in 2007, the nonprofit seeks to grow and maintain enrollment rates among girls, partnering with organizations like UNICEF to address issues in specific school districts.The ultimate goal is to provide a quality education to 2.5 million girls, that they may acquire the skills and tools to participate in the workforce as adults.
Malala Fund was founded by Malala and Ziauddin Yousafzai in 2013 to champion every girl’s right to 12 years of free, safe, quality education. Malala Fund works in regions where the most girls miss out on secondary education. Our priority countries are Afghanistan, Brazil, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.
She’s the First (STF) was founded by Tammy Tibbetts and Christen Brandt in 2009 to help girls in developing countries complete their education. Based in New York City, its team helps girls to graduate high school by helping to cover tuition and boarding costs, as well as offering individual guidance and providing essential resources like uniforms and medicine. STF selects girls to support based on financial need and academic potential. It currently hosts 881 scholars, who, along with their mentors, make up a dynamic network of strong and supportive women.
Camfed (Campaign for Female Education) aims to reduce global poverty via education for girls. Founded by Ann Cotton in 1993, the nonprofit concentrates on rural regions of sub-Saharan Africa and provides support to individuals in need. Nearly two million students in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, and Ghana have attended school with Camfed’s help. Staunchly apolitical, the organization partners with government ministries and other nonprofits to create resources and awareness. In the long term, Camfed hopes to spark systemic change by molding strong female leaders.
Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) is a pan-African nonprofit that encourages policy changes to make learning environments more accessible to girls. Partnering with government and private organizations across the continent, FAWE works to create community awareness and ensure equal treatment between boys and girls in school. They have introduced a variety of educational models since its inception, including a 2007 gender-responsive pedagogy model tailored for teacher training colleges in Ethiopia, Senegal, and Tanzania. Their central objective is to seamlessly integrate women into the social and political fabric of their countries.
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