What Does Promoting Girls’ Education Look like in Asia?

Promoting girl’s education requires time, money and commitment. UNICEF estimates that 129 million girls worldwide are not in school.¹ Every girl that does not attend school loses opportunities to learn, grow and build opportunities for her future. Educating girls is a critical issue worldwide; however, girls are chronically undereducated in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Pacific. According to UNICEF, more than 15 million girls in East Asia and the Pacific do not attend school.² These girls may leave school to care for younger siblings, work alongside their parents or maintain their family homes.

Girls who regularly attend or complete school are less likely to become victims of child marriage and more likely to have good job opportunities. Resources that help girls attend school include free school supplies and uniforms, sanitary menstrual products and advocacy for girls’ education to combat familial and social biases.

What are the benefits of educating girls?

• Development — Childhood is crucial for a girl’s social, physical and mental development. Educating girls gives them opportunities to play, learn and grow alongside their peers. Education helps preserve girls’ childhoods and develop properly.
• Opportunities — “When children are educated, they are healthier,” claims Room to Read, a nonprofit that focuses on literacy and girls’ education. “Their job opportunities improve. For every year that they stay in school, their earnings increase by 10 percent.”³ Education helps girls qualify for higher-paying jobs and ensures women can provide for themselves and their families, even if they are widowed.
• Hope — In addition to practical benefits, education also has symbolic value. Education empowers girls with good values, critical thinking skills and hope for their future.