American University Celebrates the International Day of the Girl

A child born to a mother who can read is 50% more likely to survive to age 5. In Jamaica, 1 in 5 women have been victims of forced sexual intercourse. In Egypt, 80% of boys say it is okay to sometimes hit your wife if she disobeys. 70% of Egyptian girls agree.

Hard hitting facts? For sure. American University attendees at the Day of the Girl DC Summit last Friday were presented with numerous statistics and research findings regarding the status of girls in developing nations. Certainly, when a keynote speaker introduces a summit with such a statement as: many girls in developing nations have a “duty to their family” to marry before the age of eighteen— you will be sure not to dose off. No, in fact, at the stroke of each hour, more and more AU students filed into the Butler Board Room to hear the various panelists speak.

The Day of the Girl DC was modeled after the United Nations’ International Day of the Girl. The United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 International Day of the Girl Child on December 19, 2011. The resolution declared October 11th as the International Day of the Girl; a day to recognize the challenges girls face globally. The theme for the 2013 Day of the Girl was Innovating for Girls’ Education.  

She’s the First is a national nonprofit organization, that sponsors girls’ education in developing nations. These girls are the first in their families to graduate from secondary school. She’s the First expanded as chapters on college and high school campuses. American University’s chapter was established last year during the 2012-2013 school year. Chapter president, Lorraine Brontë Magee, was excited to honor the International Day of the Girl this year by hosting a DC Day of the Girl Summit. The Summit was held in the Butler Board Room on the official Day of the Girl, Friday, October 11th. Attendees spent their day of fall break meeting, listening to, and interacting with professionals from non-profit organizations, professors, and other students.

The Summit consisted of five panels: Access to Education, Gender-Based Violence, Women’s Health, Economic Empowerment, and Political Participation.

In terms of education, there are multiple ways to make learning accessible to girls in developing nations. For one, mentorship programs can be established between the sponsors and the students. In addition, microloans can be given to the sponsored girls’ families so the families do not feel they need to depend on the dowry from their daughter’s early marriage in order to survive. More uncommonly thought of, but increasingly important, is building girls’ bathrooms in schools and in the workplace in order to mitigate the amount of harassment these girls face.

Zara Bott-Goins of the Maasai Girls Education Fund explained how a chain effect evolves when a girl has the funds to go to school. Once she graduates secondary education and returns home to her village, she is able to contribute her skills and knowledge in the workplace and earn an income. In return, her village will see her value and importance. This newfound information spreads to neighboring villages, and soon more and more girls are able to acquire educations.  As Zara pointed out, “it’s not as much a matter of people not wanting [education for girls], it’s more so the economics.” Cost is a huge barrier in girls’ access to education; scholarships alone are not enough to send girls to four years of secondary education. However, the cost is not impossible to pay. Lorraine, She’s the First American University President, presented her research at the summit. In her hometown, each year taxpayers spend $14,000 on every individual student enrolled in the public school system. To sponsor a student’s education in Uganda, it costs $365 a year. $1 a day! Why as a developed and successful nation are we not making an effort to help young girls attain an education?

On the gender-based violence panel, Julie Muriuki from Vital Voices stressed that intervention programs have to be reshaped based on the targeted culture’s “social norms”. Attempting to abolish cultural practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM) will not work. Foreign governments must first try to educate the public on the dangers of the procedure, and alternatives to show a girl’s honor. Julie continued, professing, “a lot of laws put in place to combat gender-based violence aren’t implemented by those governments.” For instance, the Convention to Eliminate all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which protects the reproductive rights of women of countries who have ratified the act, yet is not often enforced.

While discussing women’s health, the main focus was on reproductive justice and understanding “cultural competency.” Reproductive injustice is not only prevalent in developing nations— it inundates the United States as well. Although in the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case abortion was ruled legal and constitutional, many Americans are still engaging in the debate. The debate is not only hostile, but is becoming increasingly dangerous to women. The panel shared that in Texas a black market has formed, selling mifepristone, the pill used for abortions. If states begin outlawing all forms of abortion and contraception, more women will turn to black market sales of this pill, which is extremely dangerous, as a doctor should oversee the medication. Furthermore, Kristy Birchard from Feminist Majority Foundation explained that “women are dying daily because of very preventable things in maternity health.” We as a nation must support and encourage laws that benefit women and their health, rather than leave them helpless.

“If you look at people here and abroad, the people making the laws, passing the laws, are typically not young females… so what can women do? Women can educate themselves; they can fight for themselves and certain policies. It’s about choice, it’s about cultural competency, and it’s about making women and girls live healthier lives”, shares Imani Marks from Advocates for Youth.

So what can you do? Get involved! Become a member of American’s She’s the First chapter, volunteer for a non-profit that works for girls’ education or women’s health, and be your own advocate. Educate yourself on the benefits and the more challenging aspects of being a woman and use that knowledge to teach others and create change. 

Photo Credit: Rain Freeman, She’s the First