In today’s society, it is important for everyone to receive an education so that they are able to contribute socially, politically, and economically to their countries and their families. I believe that if everyone was given an equal chance to get an education, our world would be free of poverty and would be mostly free of diseases like HIV and AIDS. The economy of developing and poor countries would drastically improve and the whole world would be bettered. In in many developing countries in poorer parts of the world girls still are not receiving the same opportunity for education as their male counterparts. Their right to education is not being fulfilled or prioritized by their families or governments, in some cases. Even though there are many positive benefits that come from education, like the ones previously named, there are still obstacles that are keeping girls from being educated. These obstacles include monetary, religious and cultural factors, and violence in schools. Sometimes girls are stopped by their own families from fulfilling these rights, but the right to education is a universal human right and many countries have recognized it as such, although, there are still some countries that have not, and those that have not are holding their girls and countries back from reaching their full potential. There are many things, however, that can be done to help girls in countries like India and in various parts of Africa, who do not have the same resources as us in the Western world. My claim is that if every girl received an education it would change the world, therefore, everything that could possibly done to make sure this becomes a reality should be done. In this paper I will focus the benefits of education first and provide evidence as to why it is beneficial to educate girls. Then I will give examples of obstacles that girls face when trying to get an education. Finally, I will explain how girls can be helped by outside organizations. 

There are many positive benefits that come from the education of girls in developing countries that have far reaching effects on the girls, their families, communities, and countries as well.  The United Nations Girls Education Initiative, or UNGEI, is an organization backed by the United Nations that was started in 2000 to support developing countries in their efforts to provide education and encourage gender equality. The organization makes the claim that educating girls is a guaranteed way to “raise economic productivity, lower infant and maternal mortality, improve nutritional status and health, reduce poverty, and wipe out HIV/AIDS and other diseases.”  One may ask: why is education the key factor in this? It may seem like these ideas are basic knowledge to people who live in more developed countries, but an uneducated woman is not going to know the importance of immunizations, nutrition and sanitation, or when it is necessary to get medical help. When women are educated about their health their knowledge has a large impact on the well-being of their families and can improve their lives at home. Infant and maternal mortality rates will become lower because instead of only being a mother, the girls will have other educational and career goals and opportunities which means they will delay having children. Statistics from UNGEI show that one year of schooling for a female reduces fertility by 10% and that babies born when a female is older will be healthier. Women will also be more likely to have less children meaning that they can focus on each child’s education. “By improving their children’s lives, women are also developing the nation” (Godwyll 143). Educated women will have a more equal role in their household and will be able to contribute to their family’s income and their country’s economy. One of the most important things that comes from girls’ education is knowledge about their sexual health. In an article about HIV/AIDs the World Health Organization states that over 95% of HIV infections occur in developing countries. In 2007 AIDS was a leading cause of death in Africa. When girls educated on these subjects become older they will be “less likely to be vulnerable toward sexual abuse or exploitation, which will protect them against sexually-transmitted infections, such as HIV/AIDS” (UNGEI). The positive repercussions are obvious. Better protection against sexually transmitted infections means better health not only for both men and women, but children as well who can become infected during or before birth. This would mean lower mortality rates due to HIV/AIDS. Poverty can be eradicated when females are educated because they will be better suited to work in higher paying job positions. In 1998, it was found that 80% of the female contribution to the labor force was agricultural and women made up nearly half (47%) of the total agricultural labor force (Godwyll). This is a prime example of how not being educated can keep women in poverty. In his book, Poverty, Education, and Development, Dr. Francis Godwyll, a professor at the University of West Florida, explains that “disparities in female access to education means that woman will continue to have less access to education than men; therefore, they will be confined to low-income jobs, thereby perpetuating female poverty.” In continuation these women’s daughters will be in poverty and her daughter after that and so on. This example shows just how important a role education plays in breaking the cycle of poverty. 

Girls face many problems when trying to get an education. I want to focus on four of the main ones: poverty, cultural roles, religious roles, and violence and mistreatment in schools. Poverty is the biggest obstacle that girls face. Poor families sometimes cannot afford to pay for books, exams, uniforms, building funds, or other monetary contributions that would go towards the school. When families can afford to pay for school, the boys are usually the ones who have the privilege of going because “it is assumed that boys will more likely become financial providers for the family or have opportunities abroad” (Godwyll et al 142). In his book, Godwyll talks about how even if a family invests in their daughter’s education it is sometimes thought that that investment in her will be lost when she is married off. In Northern Nigeria one fifth of its girls were married by the age of 15. The amount of schooling a girl would receive by this age might not be worth a family spending money on if she is going to leave the family so soon. Educating boys, however, is sometimes seen as a “sound investment” while sending a girl to school can be viewed as “a waste of resources.”

This brings me to my second point. In some societies in countries like India, and in parts of Africa, girls are still expected to perform outdated cultural roles. Traditionally females are the primary caregivers. They cook, clean, and take care of kids and sick family members. In his book Godywll explains that;  

“Disproportionately more girls than boys drop out of school to take care of…family members, exacerbating the pre-existing gender-biased disparities in education [furthermore,] excessive household tasks often negatively impact school performance…girls spend much more time doing household chores compared to boys, [and] parents may feel that girls are foregoing important childcare, household, and craft training at home if they attend school” (142). 

When families adhere to these rigid cultural views girls are not given the same opportunities as boys. Parents are also sometimes afraid that formal schools will ruin the values that have been taught to their girls. For example, “many mothers fear permitting their daughters to attend school because the worry that Western-style schooling would make their daughters less respectful…and they express serious concerns that this type of education will promote moral laxity” (Godwyll 142). It is normal for some of those who live in traditional societies to be wary of the Western education system. 

Problems can also arise when religion is involved. Religion is very influential in Muslim countries, like Senegal Africa, and beliefs play a strong role in people’s lives. Unfortunately, “[i]n some countries where the majority of the population is Muslim, scriptural misinterpretation may also contribute to the constraints on female education (Godwyll 139).” In Senegal there is a saying that a women’s role is “at her husband’s feet.” When women are told that the only way for them to go to heaven is to play their role and be a good wife and mother in a place where they may not have strong, empowered women to look up to, they might believe that that is their only choice in life. Women are again forced to mold themselves and conform to the role that is being set out for them. Because society has low expectations of them some women do not think that they can do the same things as men, have the same jobs, and excel in the same subjects, especially in the areas of science and technology. Godwyll writes that, “societal attitudes create serious obstacles to females’ learning and educational pursuits; [and] limits their career chances…” Without a proper education women are unable to be a part of the workforce, other than doing agricultural jobs, because they do not have the skills or knowledge needed to pursue higher careers. 

Finally, there are certain cases that present themselves as an obstacle, a barrier that it set between a girl and her education. Basic dignities are missing for girls in the very place they should be earning them. Sexual abuse and exploitation are all too present in schools, in addition, girls might be subject to other demeaning sanitary conditions or forced to endure unkind behaviors towards them. In an article by the Right to Education project, supported by United Nations Special Rapporteur, Katarina Tomasevski, the organization states that “persisting violence against girls” is one of the leading causes of drop-out for their gender. Examples of this violence are rape, sexual harassment, physical and psychological intimidations, teasing and threats. This behavior can come from not only other students, but teachers and persons of authority as well. In 2012, Leymah Gbowee, a peace activist, Nobel laureate, and civil rights leader in Liberia, gave a TED talk titled, “The Importance of Educating Girls.” Gbowee talked about how sexual abuse is one reason that some girls do not go to school. She told the story of a nineteen-year-old girl who earned a full ride to college to support her siblings after her parents died. She was smart, and athletic, and excited about her opportunity, but on the first day the man responsible for giving her the scholarship calls her out of class “and for the next three years her fate [was to have] sex with him every day as a favor for getting her into the program.” Inadequate facilities such as bathrooms without running water or toilets can be another reason why a girl does not even begin to go to school in the first place. For boys this might be okay, but when girls hit puberty these are not sustainable conditions for them to be able to deal with their menstruation. Eve Danzeisen, an activist, actress, writer, and director writes about how there is a shame and stigma that comes with being a girl during puberty. Danzeisen says that, “in many countries, menstruation is considered taboo and dirty…” In her article Danzeisen also talks about how girls sometimes must share bathrooms with boys or do not have clean places to deal with their periods which can be a reason they drop out. 

In the Western world education is mostly a given. There are free public schools all the way up through high school and there is government assistance available if a person wants to continue their schooling, but do not have the money to do so. Developing countries do not always have this luxury. Education is supposed to be a universal human right, so why are there still people who are not receiving one? The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is “a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations.” It contains thirty articles which declare the basic human rights that we as people are thought to share. These standards were proclaimed in 1948 by the United Nations General Assembly. The General Assembly created this document with the idea that these rights should be upheld and respected for every single person in society in the world. Article 26 of the UDHR declares three things of education, but I want to focus on the first part which says that: 

(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.

Education is important enough that the United Nations found it necessary to declare access to it a universal human right. If it is that important every government should be working towards country-wide school attendance. Unfortunately, some governments lack the motivation or political will to do this. Fortunately, a government is not the only resource that can help a girl obtain her education.  There are dozens of organizations set up to support girls’ educations, such as Let Girls Learn, an initiative founded by Michelle and Barak Obama in 2015, which works with the United States government to help “foster an enabling environment for adolescent girls’ education” (Let Girls Learn). Other organizations include Camfed, an international non-profit that is focused on fighting poverty and inequality for girls and women in sub-Saharan Africa though education, Aid For Africa, For Her, Girl Rising and Peace Corps’ Let Girls Learn Fund. Each of these organizations is a movement focused on empowering girls through education in order to break the cycle of poverty and better their lives.

In conclusion, education is fundamentally important for the advancement of the developing world. For any serious change to occur, more girls must be educated. Education can be used as a tool for empowering women in a place where they might not have any authority. It can also help break the cycle of poverty and provide knowledge about health-related issues which can all positively impact the lives of a girl and her current and future family. However, there are many factors that hinder a girl’s pursuit of education, such as poverty, cultural expectations, inequalities due to religions, and poor conditions and violence in schools. Education is a basic human right and everyone deserves an equal opportunity to receive one however, some governments have not made this a priority. This is why it is so important for us to support outside organizations that are focused on helping girls in developing countries better themselves through education. We must fight for girls’ rights especially when they cannot speak out, or do not know that they can speak out for themselves. It is up to us do everything that we can because we can. 

 