Why girls?

Some of you may be wondering "why girls? what about the boys?" In the Western world a lot of opportunities in life (education, health care, etc.) are given to both boys and girls but the same is not true for developing countries. There is a myriad of research and information out there about the disparity between growing up male and growing up female. I could share lots of stories and statistics about this with you but frankly, they are really depressing. Instead, lets focus on the positive. The awesome thing is that research is not only showing this disparity but now is able to show what can happen when girls are given a chance.  

The Girl Effect is an organization that provides a lot of information about what can happen when girls are given a chance. According to their fact sheet, there are 130 million youth out of school and 70% of them are girls. The thing is, in developing countries, when girls are educated they marry 4 years later and have 2.2 fewer children, they earn higher wages (10-25%), and they reinvest more of their income into their families (90%) than males do (only 30-40%).  

They have also made an amazing 2 minute video. Check it out... 

In order to effectively change the brokenness of our world we must realize that girls are the key. This needs to be on the agenda whether it is with international organizations providing aid, countries creating laws to protect, or individuals giving opportunities. The Coalition for Adolescent Girls has done a ton of work and is a great resource for more information.  

Watch the video, do the research, read the material, and have the conversation with others. Education is power for everyone and once you have it, its one thing no one can take away from you.