In Nigeria, Almost Five and a Half Million Girls are Not in School – UNESCO

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[media-credit id=1 align=”aligncenter” width=”680″][/media-credit]Yesterday was the International Day of the Girl Child, 2014 and it was a day we reflected on the prospects of the girl child in Nigeria. If you live in one of the bustling cities of the country like Lagos, Port Harcourt or Abuja, then you might not be aware of how grim the future looks for the girl child. In most rural areas in Nigeria, girls drop out of school by the time they are 15, most time due to pregnancy.

We are passionate about the girl child because every woman was once a girl child and within every girl child you see, lies the potential to be a woman. Tweet this

This statement seems rather cliched except that it is true; completely based on fact. Yet there are places in this country where the girls never go beyond Primary 6 and can’t read or write. According to UNESCO, in Nigeria there are almost five and a half million girls who are not in Primary School.

As subsequent generations of girls are raised, the cycles of illiteracy and poverty are repeated over and again. In order for us to move forward as a country and grow beyond the deep seated poverty that the vast majority of our population lives in, we need to educate our girls. Tweet this

When you educate a girl, you do not help just one person but an entire community. Studies have shown that a woman who is educated is several times more likely to ensure that her children get an education than one who isn’t.

UNESCO Facts on Educating Girls

We are passionate about the education of girls and this is not just because of some bias. That is the only way we can move forward as a country and here are some facts from UNESCO to prove that.

Educated women are less likely to die in childbirth:

• If all mothers completed primary education, maternal deaths would be reduced by two-thirds, saving 98,000 lives.
• In sub-Saharan Africa, if all women completed primary education, maternal deaths would be reduced by 70%, saving almost 50,000 lives.

Educating girls can save millions of lives:

• If all women had a primary education, there would be 15% fewer child deaths.
• If all women had a secondary education, child deaths would be cut in half, saving 3 million lives.

Educated women are more likely to find work:

• In Brazil, only 37% of women with less than primary education are in work. This rises to 50% if they have a primary education, and 60% with a secondary education

[media-credit name=”UNESCO.org” align=”aligncenter” width=”680″][/media-credit][media-credit name=”UNESCO.org” align=”aligncenter” width=”680″][/media-credit] *Source: UNESCO.org

 

As we remember the Chibok girls and boys, let’s also do our best to ensure that every girl we know has an education. If you can’t give your money, you can give your time. Be a MENTOR.

If you’re interested in mentoring a girl from the rural areas, get in touch with us and we’ll let you know how you can be involved. Send an email to [email protected]