For Immediate Release
March 8, 2017
Asante Africa Foundation CEO’s Statement on International Women’s Day
Oakland, California — Erna Grasz, CEO and Founder of Asante Africa Foundation, released the following statement regarding the celebration of International Women’s Day on Wednesday March 8. Asante Africa Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating girls in Kenya and Tanzania.
“International Women’s Day is an opportunity to reflect on how far women have come. Yet, despite our progress, we still have miles to go to overcome the gender inequalities that women face around the world. One of the most striking examples of gender parity is education. In Africa, 28 million girls are not in school. It is a heartbreaking statistic that in Eastern Africa, girls are more likely to become child brides than complete eighth grade.
Studies have shown that educating a girl is one of the most cost-effective ways to promote development and economic growth in a country. Educated girls are less likely to experience sexual violence, be forced to marry against their will, and have unplanned pregnancies. They are more likely to earn an income, have healthy babies and instill in their children the value of an education.
If we are serious about helping current and future women achieve their goals, then we must first ensure that every girl has the chance to receive a quality education. Imagine the possibilities if we can bring education to each and every girl. Opening the doors to education will help break the poverty cycle, reduce gender-based violence and diminish HIV and STD rates. It will prepare the next generation of women for life outside the classroom. An educated girl can and will change the world.”
Erna Grasz’s bio can be found here
*Note — To schedule an interview with the Asante Africa Foundation team please contact Meghan Tisinger Meghan@KeshoConsulting.com
Asante Africa Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to educating children in Africa. Asante Africa Foundation has trained more than 11,000 teachers in Africa; developed programs to keep nearly 240,000 students in school, many of whom were young girls; and changed the future of 200+ African communities. For more information on Asante visit www.asanteafrica.org.
