The Girl Effect: Do you know the power of educating girls?

Today’s post is a bit of a departure from the things I normally write about, but I so believe in the power of educating girls, that I am participating in the 2011 Girl Effect Campaign.

Growing up, there was never any question I would go to college, let alone finish middle and high school. No question whatsoever.

My grandmother did not have this kind of support. In fact, she had to leave school when she turned 12. Her father, who himself had very little education, did not support girls going to school. He believed that a woman’s role – that his 12-year old daughter’s role – was to marry, have children, and support their parents.

Her family immigrated to the United States from Mexico while she was still young. In this country, things changed for her. She married later than expected of her. She started a business. She got her GED around the same time her children graduated from high school. She went to college to become a teacher, graduating the same year my mother completed her nursing degree. She taught elementary school, became a journalist, supported her community, explored the world, and encouraged each of us to go to school.

When I was a kid, my grandmother would send me half-filled math and phonics workbooks leftover from her students at the end of the school year. At the time, I didn’t appreciate them for what they were: gifts of learning. Today, I am thankful that she and my parents supported me with so many such gifts, and that my desire to go to school and become what I wanted to be was encouraged.

Not every little girl has the choice to go to school

Around the world, there are more than 130 million out-of-school youth, 70 percent of which are girls that do not have the kind of support I had. That means over 91,000,000 girls are not in school. 91 million!

Can you imagine your daughter, niece, neighbor, or any other precious little girl in your life facing a future with no education? I can, but barely. The girls in my life have been raised by parents that cherish their independence, their strength, and their freedom to learn.

Unfortunately, the problem of little or no education is actually worse than it sounds at face value.

Here’s the thing: without education, young women will marry earlier, have more children, and earn less than girls that stay in school for at least 7 years.

Because women in developing countries often invest more of their earnings (90%) into their families than men do (30%), these lower wages make young mothers and their families vulnerable to poverty, health issues, and hunger.

Education makes girls – and the women they become – stronger, healthier, and better able to support their families. And, they become an inspiration to others.

Want to join me in making a difference?

Here are five things you can do today to help make sure that girls – both at home and abroad – receive the education they deserve and know that they have the choice to do so:

Spread the Girl Effect message

• Give a presentation, plan a party, send a message. Visit GirlEffect.org for resources, statistics, social networking messages, videos and planning ideas for helping you out.
• Share a message or statistic with your online networks
• • Link to the website: http://www.girleffect.org

Donate to an organization that supports women and girls’ education

• Sponsor a girl’s education through Empower Women in Africa
• Support Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program

Volunteer

• Become a children’s literacy volunteer in your community by doing a search on “literacy volunteer your city name” or check out Reading is Fundamental.
• Help promote girls’ self esteem and health.
• Get involved in your daughter’s school.

Be a role model

• Stand strong in your own power.
• Never play down your smarts.
• Pursue your dreams.
• Reflect on what school, life, and people have taught you and enabled you to become and share your lessons.

Support the young girls in your life

• Cherish and support the girls in your life; teach them their true worth in this world.
• Talk about the importance of education with them and let them know the value of education – both formal and informal.
• Make education and learning fun, interesting, and even cool!
• Encourage girls, support them in their learning, offer examples of girls and women doing amazing things.

 

Do you have a story to tell? Please consider sharing it below. Better yet, write your own blog post and share it as part of The Girl Effect campaign any time this week.