Helping Rural India’s Girls Unlock their Potential through Education

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The education of adolescent girls is a major concern around the world. For far too long, millions of girls have been denied the right to education simply because they are female. Despite significant progress in closing the gender gap in primary education, significant barriers to adolescent girls’ education and empowerment still remain.

The developing world’s adolescent girls are at the center of today’s global learning crisis. Globally, 600 million adolescent girls continue to face significant obstacles in gaining access to their right to education, while 130 million girls remain out of school. These are staggering figures that represent missed opportunities and broken dreams.

Adolescence is a critical transitional period in a girl’s life as she approaches adulthood. According to Anoop Singh Bishnoi, “Adolescence magnifies the gender gap and entrenches norms that disproportionately create negative experiences for girls.” Many parts of the developing world, including India, have cultural expectations that limit a girl's future to early marriage, child bearing, and even in the role of domestic help. These social norms jeopardize a girl's ability to pursue her educational goals and successfully transition to the next stage of adulthood at a critical juncture in her life.

“Apart from ensuring enough schools and their easy access to girls, many key elements need to be in order before girls’ education can increase and run a smooth course. While dedicated educated classrooms and schools for girls will increase attendance, several other issues must be addressed and resolved. Such as the safety of girls, access to free and hygienic sanitation, and language-based education,” adds Anoop.

Education for girls is the closest thing to a panacea. It directly addresses nine of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals. Health, nutrition, employability, and poverty alleviation amongst others are positively impacted!

 

Location: India

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