Lit Stats: Fighting for Women’s Education

The success of a people is defined by all its members. As Amal Clooney said, “Holding back women, is holding back half of every country in the world.”

It would seem reasonable to assume we are steadily progressing towards making education available to everyone. Yet, women and girls make up 59% of the illiterate population (UNICEF).

The cause is rooted in multiple factors (poverty, lack of resources, gender-based violence, cultural expectations/customs), and while some progress is being made, there are an overwhelming number of women and girls barred from education.

UNESCO estimates "16 million girls will never set foot in a classroom." As a part of promoting gender equality and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UNESCO and organizations like the Right to Education Initiative (RTE), ActionAid International, and Amnesty International are working to ensure the Education 2030 Framework for Action is enforced to make education as a human right a possibility.

The Education 2030 Framework for Action believes we must guarantee "girls and boys, women and men, not only gain access to and complete education cycles, but are empowered equally in and through education."

Follow any of the above links to find out how you can help make this goal happen!