The Importance of Educating Girls | Teen Ink

The Importance of Educating Girls

April 26, 2017
By oliviaj20 SILVER, Cannon Falls, Minnesota
oliviaj20 SILVER, Cannon Falls, Minnesota
7 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Getting up bright and early for school after staying up late working on projects and assignments can be dreadful. I’d rather have the opportunity to do that routine every day than never having the opportunity to get and sit in a school desk. For many, this is their reality, especially girls. They never get a chance to know what a real day of school feels like, never get to get taught by a teacher, and never get to read out of a textbook. I’m truly lucky to have this privilege of going to school safely every day and having teachers that want me to have a successful future. There are girls across the world that don’t know if they’ll ever be able to go to school or if they will have to stay at home to help out  while their brothers happily get to go. Having girls educated is key to a bright future where they won’t have to live in fear. Girls education has an importance in gender biases, lack of safety, and the determination of girls around the world.


Gender bias, something that is a world issue especially in girls education. There are multiple reasons that is stopping girls from going to school. In many countries, there is the cultural belief that girls should not be educated. Many countries have the belief that girls should marry young, stay home and raise children. According to UNICEF 2013 study, “Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest proportion of countries with gender parity: only two out of thirty-five countries.” That is the widest gender gap with out-of-school population in South and West Asia with 80% out-of-school girls never having the chance to be educated, compared to 16% of its out-of-school boys also according to UNICEF. Most girls don’t have the chance to go to school. In some places, there are only boys schools which makes girls not able to have an in-school education. A quote said by 15 year old girl Tirunesh from Ethiopia is perfectly said, “Your gender shouldn’t determine whether you get an education.” Something else that is a big prevention for all is the safety of one’s country.


So many countries all around the globe lack safety. There is around seventy countries that are in some type of war, most with terrorist groups. A big terrorist group in northwestern Africa is Boko-Haram. They believe that education should be forbidden for all, especially girls. This creates grave danger for all going to school or even being at school. In 2014, they kidnapped more than 270 schoolgirls in Chibok, Nigeria according to  2014 BBC World News. Not only is this happening to schools globally, attacks have happened to schools in the United States. There has been shootings in elementary schools and even colleges too. This has given the fear to so many to be at school when all they want is an education. Another thing that causes the fear of  going to school is human trafficking. It can happen as easily as a girl is walking to school and is taken and are forced into scary things. “Approximately 80% of women and girls are trafficked across international borders per year” according to Stop the Traffic. This rate of this happening can all depend on the country, but it can happen anywhere. 
There are so many men, women, and girls around the globe that have the determination to have an equal education for all. There is one girl that especially moves me. Malala Yousafzai is a 19 year old girl. In 2012 she was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman in an attempted murder because she spoke out about the importance of education, especially for girls. “I don’t mind if I have to sit on the floor at school. All I want is an education, and I’m afraid of no one,” said Malala. She is the youngest ever to win a Nobel Peace Prize and now goes and speaks all around the world about her story and education. She has a program which helps girls get the education they dream of. There are so many ways we all can help girls who want an education, even just by speaking up.


Having girls with an education is such a good thing for the world, providing them with an education can help to end poverty, along with so many other things. I really take for granted how I get to wake up each morning and go to school while others struggle to just get their hands on a book. Being educated is significant to a bright future. Gender bias, lack of safety, and the determination of all are things that go along with this global issue. I am truly fortunate to be able to be educated and someday, reach the goals I have in life.



Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 0 comments.