Educating girls is not one of the world’s problems, it’s actually a solution. All we must do is believe in them.
That’s the thinking of Children Believe, as we mark International Day of the Girl Child today, October 11. This annual observance shines a spotlight on the unique challenges faced by girls around the world including child marriage and the fact that 129 million girls are not in school.
It’s important that we recognize the significance of these issues, not allow ourselves to be weary of the struggle and use this opportunity to assess where we are succeeding and where we can improve.
The theme of this year’s Day of the Girl is Invest in Girls’ Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well-being. For us at Children Believe, this year we continue to advocate for increasing access to education, especially for girls and to end child marriage which is a major barrier to education. As we know, education creates opportunities and empowers children, especially girls, around the world. That’s why we believe ‘ed-powerment’ is empowerment. As we reflect on investing in girl’s rights, we want Canadians to know that female voices can change the world. Education is a human right that is not being upheld worldwide. And together, we can change that.
Our research finds that:
- Girls who are ‘ed-powered’ to complete primary school are three times less likely to be sold into modern slavery.
- And for every year of secondary school those same girls complete, their income will increase by 25 percent, helping to lift millions out of hunger and poverty.
- If every girl received 12 years of quality education, child marriage would plunge by two-thirds and girls’ higher lifetime earnings would grow global economies by as much as $15 to $30 trillion.
Bringing attention to the issue
This year, as part of our #BelieveInGirlsLikeMe campaign, we are bringing attention to the issue and we’ve developed a number of ways for our supporters, donors, staff and you our reader to get involved and to take action!
Our work in this area is featured in Macleans.ca this month. There, CEO Fred Witteveen was interviewed about how prioritizing girls’ education can transform the global economy.
To join our #BelieveInGirlsLikeMe campaign, we invite you to watch our latest video and join our social media engagement initiative.
You can even create personalized display photos by clicking on this link and share them on your social networks to show your support to girls
Our dedication to girls extends beyond IDG. We at Children Believe urge all Canadians to join our ongoing efforts to empower girls by advocating for change and supporting their education.
Support girls’ education by making a monthly donation of $10 to the #GirlsLikeMe Education Fund.