BECAUSE I AM A GIRL

Reaching millions of girls Plan’s Because I am a Girl campaign aims to reach 4 million girls directly – improving their lives with access to school, skills, livelihoods and protection. We will also achieve these improvements through better family and community support and access to services for girls.

In addition, we aim to reach 40 million girls and boys indirectly in terms of positive improvements through our gender programmes. We also aim to reach 400 million girls through policy change. This means helping to bring about quantifiable improvements in policy makers, service providers and government support for gender equality and girls’ rights.

We are working with girls, communities, traditional leaders, governments, global institutions and the private sector to address the barriers that prevent girls from completing their education.

We are calling for:

girls’ education to be prioritized by world leaders

girls’ completion of a quality secondary education to be a major focus of international action

funding for girls education to be increased

an end to child marriage

an end to gender-based violence in and around schools

girls and boys to participate in decision making and inspire those with power to take action

DID YOU KNOW…..

Women work 2/3 of the world’s working hours and produce ½ of the world’s food? Women earn only 10% of the world’s income AND own less than 1% of the world’s property! Globally, 1 in 5 girls around the world is denied an education by the daily realities of poverty, violence and discrimination. Every day, girls are taken out of school, married far too young, and subjected to violence in school. Not only is this unjust, it’s also a huge waste of potential with serious global consequences.

Millions of girls are being denied an education right at a time when it has the power to transform their lives and the world around them. Making it through both primary and secondary education is critical to girls being able to help break the cycle of poverty.

A girl who makes it through both high quality primary and secondary education is…

…less likely to experience violence or marry and have children whilst she is still a child.

…more likely to be literate, healthy and survive into adulthood, as are her children.

…more likely to reinvest her income back into her family, community and country.

…more likely to understand her rights and be a force for change.

When girls reach puberty, many will face an increased threat of violence and abuse. Violence in and around schools, such as the sexual manipulation and coercion for grades, remains a major barrier to seeing girls successfully complete the quality education they deserve.

For millions of girls, reaching puberty can be the first step towards a forced marriage. Too often, girls are taken out of school, isolated from their friends and forced into marriage and mother hood when they are still children themselves.

For more information visit: http://plan-international.org/girls/