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 physical and mental 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 effort on the part of girls in the United States in support of global girls' education.

GLI brings American girls into the global partnership to promote access to quality education for all girls. GLI's mandate is to: (i) provide human rights education to young women currently in middle school or high school; (ii) encourage young women to become advocates for positive social change; and (iii) further the goal of global girls' education by offering financial support and necessary goods and materials to "Partner Classrooms".

GLI is a non-profit organization with Chapters in middle schools and high schools in urban, suburban and rural communities. College students may participate as Chapter facilitators as part of the Girls Learn International College Leadership Division. Each Chapter will be paired with a "Partner Classroom" providing quality education to girls in a community in which girls have traditionally been denied access to education. GLI participants will engage in a variety of advocacy and outreach projects on behalf of the Partner Classrooms, including preparation of school and community newspaper articles, public speaking at school and community events, communication with girls in the Partner Classrooms, meetings with United Nations and governmental officials, and fundraising campaigns in support of the Partner Classroom. Through their participation in GLI, young women will help to empower their counterparts in Partner Classrooms, increase their global knowledge and, in the process, will empower themselves.

Copyright © 2004 By Girls Learn Internatonal™, Inc. All Rights Reserved.