At the beginning of the 21st century, almost two-thirds of the world's uneducated children are girls, and the illiteracy rate among women far exceeds that of men. The effects of gender inequality in education are devastating. Girls who are denied access to education are more likely to be trapped in a cycle of poverty and disease, forced into child marriage or child prostitution, and subjected to a range of other human rights violations including domestic violence, physical and psychological abuse. Communities in which girls are not educated are disadvantaged, both economically and socially, by the disempowerment of the female members of the population.

The reasons for gender inequality in education are many, including culturally based parental preference for the education of sons; economic considerations; inadequate and gender-biased teaching and educational materials; early marriage; and the threat of sexual harassment of girls, both traveling to school and in the classroom. All of these considerations must be taken into account in developing a model to encourage girls to enter and complete school.

The international community has frequently addressed the issue of girls' education and the past ten years have witnessed a proliferation of programs geared to affording girls access to quality education. While in some international communities girls themselves are participating in the movement to ensure girls' access to quality education, there has been no organized national effort on the part of girls in the United States in support of global girls' education.

Girls Learn International recognizes that girls can make a difference in the movement for global girls' education.

 

 

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