Real Lives:
"My favorite subject is reading",
says Yama. "My parents were poor and they could not read and many
people where we lived could not read either. The adults liked it when I
would come home with a book and read stories to them." Yama is a 15-year
old girl who is now back in school at the UNICEF-supported Jah Tondo internally
displaced persons camp, located on the outskirts of Monrovia, Liberia.
Her life has not been easy. "I've been displaced so many times,"
says Yama. "So many times. The first time I was 12-years old, living
in Lofa County. It was in 2000 when the rebels attacked. I ran with my
brother and my auntie to a displaced persons camp in Bopolu, Gbarpolu County.
We stayed there for 9 months. Then we had to run again when the rebels
attacked Bopolu." In less than 3 years, Yama was displaced 9 times
by Liberia's war. Today, Yama attends an emergency education class as part
of the UNICEF-supported Back To School initiative in Liberia. "I like
reading the best because it helps me make other people happy," says
Yama. "You must be able to read well to study if you want to be a
doctor. I want to be a doctor because they help cure sick people. That's
what I want to do with my life ...to learn to be a doctor and help sick
people in my country."
Issue:
An estimated 23 million children of primary school age in the West & Central Africa Region don't go to school; the majority of them are girls. This total included 750,000 children out of school in Liberia and 500,000 children out of school in Côte d'Ivoire as a result of fighting and insecurity. Now, many of these girls and boys are back in school as a result of UNICEF-supported Back To School programs in both countries. Regionally, girls still suffer from discrimination in the fulfillment of their right to an education. In only a few countries are girls enrolled in schools as much as boys: Sao Tome e Principe; Equatorial Guinea; Cape Verde; Gabon. Gender gaps average 18 points in 8 countries and up to 32 points in Chad and Benin. Therefore, UNICEF works to ensure that every girl, and every boy, enjoys their right to a quality education. By focusing on girls' education, UNICEF helps strengthen efforts to achieve the ultimate goal: education for every child. Working with partners, UNICEF leads regional and country campaigns to reach out-of school girls, mobilize political action and encourage financial support for girls' education. Girls' education is a core development issue: every year a girl is in school is a step toward eliminating poverty, advancing sustainable human development, promoting gender equality, and, stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS. It is also a human rights issue: every year a girl is denied her right to a quality education increases the chance she will be subject to violence, exploitation and be more vulnerable to diseases, such as HIV/AIDS.
Action:
UNICEF's West & Central Africa Regional Office supports UNICEF Country Offices in implementing a diverse range of activities to help ensure that all girls get into school, that all girls stay in school and that all girls learn what they need to succeed later in life. Some activities include: launching the '25 x 2005' Initiative on Accelerating Girls' Education, targeting 8 countries in the region, (Benin, Burkina-Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Guinea-Conakry, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali and Nigeria); supporting Back To School programs in Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire; assisting in the expansion of the Satellite School program in Burkina-Faso; initiating a volunteer 'Young Professional Female Role Model' campaign as part of the integrated approach to accelerating girls' education in the DRC; implementing teacher orientation activities and conducting a Needs Assessment for the reconstruction of the education sector in Liberia; supporting the community-participation 'Mother's Clubs' initiative in The Gambia; providing emergency education classes for children displaced and affected by regional conflict; participating in national education gender reviews; supplying 'School-In-The-Box' education kits and other essential teaching and learning supplies; advocating for the right of all children to go to school and the abolishment of primary school fees that prevent many girls and boys from going to school.
Impact:
UNICEF believes in the long-term, positive impact of girls' education. Quality education for girls equals quality education for boys. Educated girls and women are enabled to fulfil their potential, helping them and their future children. Fewer women will die unnecessarily in pregnancy and childbirth. Educated girls tend to marry later and have fewer children. The children they do have will be healthier, more likely to survive, better nourished and better educated. Educated women will be more productive at home and be better paid in the workplace. Families will have additional income. Educated girls and women are better able to protect themselves against HIV/AIDS and to assume more active roles in social, economic and political decision-making throughout their life. More women will serve in leadership roles and will contribute to social policy. As a result, more girls and women will enjoy the full range of their rights. Children in school are also better protected against violence, abuse and discrimination, particularly girls, who may more likely be victims of sexual exploitation if they are on the streets. And, in countries in conflict, girls in school - like Yama - have a sense of stability and are less likely to be recruited into armed groups where they may be forced into marriage or used as sex slaves.