If you’re reading this, chances are you’re a girl. Chances also are that you’ve received some form of education. It’s easy to take this for granted, especially since attending school is something that virtually every young person does in our culture. In developing countries across the world, girls are denied the education that we often take for granted – this includes middle and high school, as well as higher education. This forces girls to go down a number of devastating paths that seem set for them: early marriage, having more children than they can handle, illiteracy, continuous poverty, HIV, and so much more.
The reason? In developing countries, it’s hard to support public school systems, let alone provide the same resources that ours do. There’s a price tag on even the most basic education. The inability of families to pay for every child to attend school makes education far less accessible than it is in more financially stable states, especially for girls. Only 33% of girls are enrolled in secondary school in the developing world. Many girls in these parts of the world never learn to read, whereas their male counterparts are given a full education, due to their families’ reinforcement of misogynistic values that are common in those countries.
Why does this matter? Educating girls is the key to ending poverty and improving the lives of families in developing countries. When girls are enrolled in school, they have less of a reason to marry in their early teens, and can develop the skills necessary for living and working independently. Education also ensures that they’re in a safe environment for the majority of the day, and therefore are less prone to attack or sexual assault. Studies have shown that educating girls is directly correlated with “reductions in mortality and fertility,” “poverty reduction and equitable growth,” and “social norm change and democratization” (Day of the Girl). Unfortunately, none of this can be done without changing the social standard or acquiring the capital required to start better programs.
What’s been done already? She’s The First is an organization that allows people to raise money to sponsor girls in developing countries, and ensure that they get the education they deserve. As of today, the organization has sponsored 289 girls in 11 developing countries, a number that continues to grow as the philanthropy does. Another organization, the 10×10 act, has produced an amazing documentary called Girl Rising that tells the stories of girls in various countries who have risen above the odds by fighting to receive an education. At the end of 2011, this issue had gained so much attention that the UN declared October 11th to be the International Day of the Girl, which raises awareness of educational inequality as well as other social problems that young girls face globally.
What can we do about it? Her Campus William & Mary is proud to have named She’s The First as our official philanthropy. We will be hosting our first annual Week of the Girl event this October. Join us for screenings of Girl Rising in Tyler 102 on October 5th at 3 PM and the 11th at 6:30 PM. The documentary explains more about why this issue matters so much and to shares inspiring stories from girls worldwide.
On October 6th, make sure to come out to our benefit in the Commonwealth Auditorium at 3 PM and hear the Accidentals perform.
Look out for more announcements throughout the week!
Proceeds from our events will be going to She’s The First. We can’t wait to make a difference with you.
Sources:
girlrising.com
shesthefirst.org
dayofthegirl.org