8 Facts on Girls Global Education
We cannot even imagine how many girls around the world are still illiterate. Gender equality in education is one of the critical conditions for creating a developed society. Despite the significant progress that the world community has achieved in this matter, according to UNESCO, about 16 million girls did not get to school in 2017.
It would seem that the times of the Middle Ages are far behind, but not all countries have the opportunity for girls and women to learn to read.
• There are about 30 million girls under the age of 17 in the world who do not attend school. 16 million will never go to school.
In Somalia, 95% of girls never went to school, 78% in Nigeria. The top ten countries where women’s education is in a deplorable state include Mali, Yemen, and Pakistan.
• About 123 million people in the world between 15 and 24 years old cannot read and write. 60% of them are women. Women in developing countries that have an education look after their health better.
• According to UNESCO, if in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa all women received at least a primary education, the mortality of children during childbirth would decrease by 70% (these are 50,000 small lives).
• A child who is born to a mother who can read and write has a 50% increase in the chance of surviving to 5 years old (we are talking about countries in Africa, India, Pakistan).
• Most girls who do not attend school live in countries affected by military conflicts.
• Girls who received at least eight years of education are four times less likely to become a child bride.
• Educated women send their children to school twice as often as uneducated.
It sounds funny to those of us who live in a western society. But for the people of Côte d’Ivoire or Somalia, it is a considerable problem to realize that they need to go to school, and this will directly affect their standard of living.
• In India, at the moment about 60% of women are considered literate. This figure is actually very high since as far back as 1971 it did not exceed 25%.
Until the middle of the XIX century, in most developed countries, women received education solely to manage their children and become a companion for their husband. Nowadays, the global community seeks to break down gender stereotypes. And school is one of the primary conditions on the road to gender equality. An educated woman can always find a job, deal with her health and rights, and also manage to take care of a child.
About the author
Melisa Marzett is a freelance writer who is working for a professional essay editing company at this point and enjoying traveling. She is a former journalist who likes getting new experiences, knowledge and direct communication.