Break the bias to help girls into education and opportunity
鶹APP hosted an International Women鶹APPs Day event which looked at how to overcome the barriers that hold back girls.
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How do you break down the barriers that hold back girls? One way is to make sure that boys are taught from a young age about gender equality.
That is what Indian activist Kashvi Chandok told viewers at an Instagram Live event held by 鶹APP to mark International Women鶹APPs Day on March 8.
Kashvi, a Global Youth Ambassador for 鶹APP, said: 鶹APPLeading the change for gender equality can only be done when we start teaching both boys and girls about feminism, about the gender bias that exists from the very start.鶹APP
The event was hosted by best-selling author, broadcaster and journalist Lorraine Candy and also featured 鶹APP Chair Sarah Brown and Yasmine Sherif, Director of the global fund Education Cannot Wait.
This year’s International Women鶹APPs Day theme was 鶹APPBreak the Bias鶹APP. Sarah set the scene by explaining how gender bias affects the education opportunities of millions of girls around the world, who are at risk of child labour, early marriage and other discrimination.
Kashvi added: 鶹APPWhen it comes to education, particularly for women from low-income backgrounds and conservative families, they are not given similar access to resources as their brothers. That generates a trickle-down effect of discrimination against girls and the kind of education they can receive – not just in schools but also at home and the support that they get from their parents.鶹APP
Watch the event here
“Girls are involved in a lot of unpaid labour at home, where they are taking care of the siblings, doing household chores. So that does not give them the same choice as their brothers to indulge in education or extra-curricular activities.鶹APP
Yasmine agreed that education on gender equality must begin very early. She said: 鶹APPIt starts at home and in pre-primary, then through primary and secondary grades. That鶹APPs the formative years for boys to look at girls as equal and not as stereotypes of what boys can do and girls can do.鶹APP
She said the pandemic had increased the number of girls in crisis and conflict areas who are out of school to 60 million. That could rise with the Ukraine invasion, where most of the two million refugees are women and children.
Yasmine said: 鶹APPUkraine had 100% gender equality in the education system. Now with this conflict we are creating so many dangers for girls.鶹APP
Education Cannot Wait, which has worked in 42 crisis-affected countries, ensures that 60% of its investments go towards girls鶹APP education. Yasmine added: 鶹APPWe need affirmative, bold action. We have a laser focus on the girls.鶹APP
Sarah said everyone can play a part in ending discrimination against girls and women.
“International Women鶹APPs Day is such a good moment for galvanising that support,鶹APP she said. 鶹APPWe have to ask more of political leadership around the world – they are totally able to unlock the political will and unlock the funding.
鶹APPWe need to use our voices to appeal to the men (and women) who hold power, who hold the purse strings, who hold the opportunities. Those voices make a difference.鶹APP
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