School started last week. After a long, care free summer my two girls happily stepped on the bus to start 3rd and 5th grade.But how different is the life of so many other young girls (and boys) around the world.Even though, according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 26, “(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages.”……61 million children of primary school age (6-11 years, my daughters age) and 60 millions children of lower secondary school age (12-14 years) are out of school.The main obstacles to education are gender, location, and poverty.While there have been improvements in the last two decades, girls are still more likely to never set foot in the classroom than boys. 15 million girls, in comparison to 10 million boys, will never receive an education. Nine million of these girls live in sub-Saharan Africa.35% of kids who don’t receive elementary education live in areas of armed conflict, where education is not available or the risk to go to school is simply too great.(see “263 Million children and youth are out of school from primary to upper secondary”, UNESCO office in Santiago, 07.15.2016)Many organizations have recognized that girls’ education lifts families out of poverty and benefits the whole society.That’s why Global Women’s Project supports projects likeShifting Ideas Through Education for African Women (SITEAW) in Uganda.We thank you for your continued support in giving opportunities to girls, women, and families around the world.Anke PietschGWP Steering Committee[Note: We are working diligently in conjunction with the Church of the Brethren staff to insure an accurate reflection of donations and individual donors. Thank you for your patience and support. ]
Global Women's Project 