Innovating for Girls’ Education

Uadaya Sivakiumar Financial Officer Emerge Lanka

The International Day of the Girl Child promotes girls’ rights and highlights the gender inequalities that remain between girls and boys. It gives people and organizations the opportunities to raise public awareness of the different types of discrimination and abuse that many girls around the world suffer from.

This year’s day will focus on “innovating for girls’ education.” The achievement of girls’ right to education is a primary requirement towards being treated as equal. It is proven that girls’ education, can lead society towards: 1) development, 2) a reduction in poverty and violence, and 3) an increase in equality and harmony.

Even though there has been significant progress in improving girls’ access to education over the last two decades, many girls, are still marginalized, and do not have this basic right. Girls in many countries are still unable to attend school and complete their education, due to safety, financial, institutional and cultural-related barriers. In recognizing these aspects, the 2013 International Day of the Girl Child addresses the importance of innovating education for girls and implemented the following actions, with the help of UN agencies, civil society organizations, and private sectors:

• Improved public and private means of transportation for girls to get to school (from roads, buses, mopeds, and bicycles to boats and canoes);

• Collaboration between school systems and the banking industry to facilitate secure and convenient delivery of pay to female teachers and scholarship delivery to girls;

• Corporate mentorship programs to help girls acquire critical work and leadership skills and facilitate their transition from school to work;

• Revisions of school curricula to integrate positive messages on gender norms related to violence; child marriage; sexual and reproductive health; and male and female familial roles;

• Deploying mobile technology for teaching and learning to reach girls, especially in remote areas.