WHY GIRLS’ EMPOWERMENT?

Girls’ empowerment is integral to global development. Girls are more likely to reinvest in their families and communities, boosting economies and increasing opportunities for everyone. Sadly, 129 million girls are out of school due to unaffordable school fees, forced child marriage, lack of sanitary products when they reach puberty, and many other barriers.

We believe the best way to empower women is through improved access to high-quality education. Educated girls are less likely to marry early and against their will, less likely to die in childbirth, and more likely to send their children to school. In fact, if all girls in Sub-Saharan Africa and South and West Asia had a secondary education, child marriage would fall by 64 percent, from almost 2.9 million to just over 1 million. Increasing girls’ education contributes to higher economic growth for entire communities through boosting girls’ earning power. For every year of secondary education that a girl receives, her wages will increase up to 20 percent. We believe that women must receive opportunities in education and in the workforce of equal quality and value to men.

OUR IMPACT

We have worked in 25 countries and provided access to secondary education for over 12,695 girls and vocational training for 589 girls. In Afghanistan, our partnership with Sahar provided transportation for 30 young women to attend a Teacher Training Center. We also aim to limit the practical barriers that keep girls out of school. One way we achieve this is through providing girls access to sanitary and hygiene products so that they are not forced to skip a week of school each month. With your help, we can continue to support projects that recognize the need for a holistic approach to empowering girls through education, training, and support.