POSTED October 22, 2019
U.S. economist: keep girls in school to end poverty
How preventing females from learning in Africa is hurting a community’s chance to thrive
Giving girls the opportunity to go to school is necessary to alleviate hunger and poverty in Africa said Jeffrey Sachs, professor and director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University in New York, as quoted by Thomson Reuters Foundation News.
This is backed by World Bank stats, which show more than 130-million girls around the world are not in school. “Educate girls, fertility rates come down, women enter the labour force. That’s true across every country, every religion,” said Sachs. He added: “If Africa stays on this demographic trajectory, it’s impossible to end hunger and it is impossible to end poverty.”
At Children Believe, we promote equality for girls by ensuring they understand their rights and can develop knowledge, skills, confidence and leadership skills through girls’ clubs, child and youth groups and children’s networks.
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Children Believe works globally to empower children to dream fearlessly, stand up for what they believe in — and be heard. For 60+ years, we’ve brought together brave young dreamers, caring supporters and partners, and unabashed idealists. Together, we’re driven by a common belief: creating access to education — inside and outside of classrooms — is the most powerful tool children can use to change their world.