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THURSDAY11OCTOBER2012GIRLSx19RIGHTSGAZETTE3x1cIwanttoseeaworldwhereweshouldnx19thaveacampaignongirlsx19educationanymore.Aworldinwhichitisagiventhatgirlsshouldgotoschool.Noifsnobuts.x1d2011NOBELPEACEPRIZECO-LAuREATELEYmAHGBOwEEBettereducationforgirlsbetterfuturefortheworldEquitykeytorealisingthefuturewewantforallANDRISPIEBALGSEuropeanCommissionerorDevelopmentAsItravelaroundtheworldtoseetheEuropeanCommissionx19sworkindevel-opingandpartnercountriesIseetimeandtimeagainhowimportantwomenandgirlsareinhelpingtheirlocalcom-munitiestoprogress.Girlsreallycanbetheagentsochangebuttoootentheyareheldbackbypoverty.Thestatisticsspeakorthemselvesandareaterriyingreminderohowmuchmoreneedstobedone.Some75percentothoselivinginAricawithHIVareemale.Oneinthreegirlsworldwideisdeniedaneducationinsteadotenhav-ingtoworkorhelptoeedandlookatertheiramiliesromanearlyage.Yetitx19salsoclearthatinvestingingirlsparticularlyineducationmakesahugedierencetoboththegirlandhercom-munity.Itx19samazingtohearorexamplethatwhenagirlinthedevelopingworldreceivessevenormoreyearsoeduca-tionshemarriesouryearslaterandhasewerchildren.Whenwomenandgirlsearnalivingtheyreinvest90percentoitintotheiramiliesascomparedtoonly30to40percentoraman.Womenwhospendmoreyearsineducationhavebet-termaternalhealthewerandhealthierchildrenandgreaterjobprospects.KARENSCHROHHeadoPlanEUOfceDiscussionsontheuturedevelopmentrameworkarewellunderwayatlocalregionalandinternationallevels.Otenbeoreweknowwhereweshouldgowemustlookatromwherewehavecome.ThatmeansassessingthesuccessesandshortcomingsotheMillenniumDevel-opmentGoalsMDGs.UNSecretaryGeneralBanKi-moonarguesthattheMDGsx1chavegivenpolicymakersauniyingrameworkorglobaldevelopmentaclearagendawithmeasurablegoalsandtargetsandacommoninspiringvisionx1d.Heislargelyright.Butwithmostlyquan-titativeindicatorsosuccesstheyriskexcludingthemostmarginalisedandhardtoreach.Withquantitativetargetsitiseasiesttopickthelowhangingruit.Headlinestatisticscanthereoremaskmoreworryingtrends.TheMDG2tar-getorexampleistoensurex1cchildreneverywhereboysandgirlsalikewillbeabletocompleteaullcourseoprimaryschoolingx1d.Whileantasticprogresshasbeenmadeingettingchildrenintoschooluniversalprimaryeducationwouldbeax1chollowachievementx1ditheocuswassimplyonenrolment.Insteadwemustlookatcompletionratesqualityoedu-cationreceivedandtransitiontosecond-aryschooling.Anditisherethatweseethatwestillhavesomewaytogo.In2010therewerestill122millionpeoplebetween15and24yearsoagex1374millionwomenand48millionmenx13whowereunabletoreadandwriteashortsimplestatementabouttheirevery-daylie.WhateverenrolmentratestellusleavingschoolwithoutbasicreadingandItx19sclearthenthatwomenandgirlsareinextricablylinkedtogrowth.Inourrecentpolicyproposalanx18AgendaorChangex19Ioutlinedgrowthasoneoourkeyprioritiesandonewhichwewillbehighlightingatthisyearx19sEuropeanDevelopmentDayswhichtakesplaceonceagaininBrusselson16-17October.Thatx19swhyweocusonwomenandgirlsineverythingwedo.Whetheritisagricultureenergytradeorhealtheachandeveryoneoourprogrammeshastotakewomenandgirlsintoaccount.Moreoverdevelopmentisfrstandore-mostaboutdevelopingpeoplex19spotentialtohaveadecentlie.Thereoreatleast20percentoEUaidwillgodirectlytohumandevelopment.Thiscombinedwiththex1cemaleactorx1dineverydevel-opmentprogrammewillresultinmil-lionsogirlsreceivingthehelptheyneedandescapingpoverty.Asoneotheworldx19slargestdonorstheCommissionhasalreadyplayedacrucialroleinimprovingthelivesowomenandgirls.Since2004orexamplethankstoEUsupportmorethan85000newemalestudentshavebeenenrolledinsecondaryeducationmorethanourmillionbirthshavebeenattendedbyhealthpersonneland10.8millionconsultationsonreproductivehealthhavebeencarriedout.Ix19dalsoliketotellyouaboutonerecentprogrammewhichreallystoodoutormeandwhichclearlyshowshowourworkwithgirlsismakingadierence.AninnovativeprojectwhichweworkedoninpartnershipwithUNI-CEFhashelpedthousandsoamiliescommunitiesandcountriestochangeattitudesandendharmulpracticeslikeemalegenitalmutilationcuttinginArica.AsaresultoeducationandawarenessraisinggirlsinthousandsocommunitiesinEgyptEritreaEthio-piaSenegalandSudanarenolongersubjectedtothispractice.InSenegalinparticularwhere28percentowomenaged15-49haveunder-goneemalegenitalmutilationcuttingastonishingprogresshasbeenmade.Injustunderadecadeover5300com-munitieshaveabandonedthepracticebringingthecountryclosetobecom-ingthefrstintheworldtodeclaretotalabandonmentexpectedby2015.Projectslikethisareapowerulexampleothedierencewecanmaketogirlsx19liveswhenweworktogetherwithourpartners.OnthisthefrsteverInternationalGirlsx19Dayletx19staketheopportunitytolookathowwecanreallygivegirlsthetoolsthattheyneedtobecometheutureodevelopment.AndrisPiebalgsEverydevelopmentprogammemustcontainthex1cemaleactorx1dThepost-2015developmentrameworkmustbemoreinclusivesustainableandpeople-centrediitistobeneftthepoorestandmostmarginalisedEuropeanWeekofActionforGirlsGirlsx19rightsarenototenthecentreoattention.ButtheEuropeanWeekoActionorGirlswhichtakesplacerom8-12Octoberaimstochangethat.Thisweekoeventsandactivitiesisamomenttoocusontheparticularchallengesandopportunitiesthatcomewithbeingagirl.ThehighlightotheWeekoActionisthefrsteverInternationalDayotheGirlChildwhichwillbecelebratedinBrusselsandinnationalcapitalsaroundtheworldon11October.Thisisachancetothinkabouthowarwehavecomeintermsogenderequalityandremindourselveshowarwestillhavetogo.Girlsx19rightsarehumanrights.Thatmeanstheyapplytoallgirlseverywhereandnobodycantakethemaway.Therealityhoweverissomewhatdierent.Aroundtheworldgirlsrightsareabusedwithimpunity.Girlswhoareoneothemostvulnerablegroupsontheplanetacemultiplechallengesinaccessingtheirrights.TheEuropeanWeekoActionorGirlswillconrontthesechallengesprovidingtheEUwithrecommendationsonwhatneedstobedonetoovercomethem.TheEuropeanWeekoActionorGirlsisorganisedbyPlanEUOfceunderthepatronageothePresidentotheEuropeanParliamentandinpartnershipwithUnitedNationsBrusselssupportedbypartnercivilsocietyorganisations.FollowthedebateonTwitterweekOfAction.Formoreinormationgoto.plan-e.org.InternationalDayotheGirlChildwritingskillsdoesnotamounttoaqualityeducationalexperience.Whenitcomestomakingthevitaltransitiontosecondaryeducationwherechildrenacquirearangeoskillstheyneedtosucceedinliegen-derparityremainselusive.Aswelookto2015andbeyondwehavearesponsibilitytoensurethatthepoorestandmostmarginalisedalsoben-eft.Thismeansadevelopmentrame-workwhichismoreinclusivesustainableandpeople-centered.Itmeanstakinganequityapproachwhichincludesgenderequalityindicatorsthatarebothquali-tativeandquantitative.Whenitcomestoeducationorexampletheagendamustbebroadenedromsimplylookingataccesstoprimaryeducation.Itmustencompassthequalityotheeducationreceivedandthetransitiontox13andcom-pletionox13lowersecondaryeducation.Theimpactoeducationorgirlsgoesbeyondgenderequalityithasposi-tiveimpactonhealthonpopulationoneconomicdevelopmentoncivicengagementandmore.Thecompletiononineyearsoeducationorgirlscanbeconsideredakeymeasureoprogresstowardsthetransormationalchangeneededtoreduceglobalpoverty.Oncetherameworkisinplacetheremustbesufcientmoneyavailabletoensurex1ctheworldwewantx1dbecomesareality.EUmemberstatesandtheEuro-peanParliamentarecurrentlynegotiat-ingtheEUx19slong-termbudgetwhichrunsrom2014-2020andtheoutcomeothesediscussionswillbeagoodindicatorowhetherEuropetakesitsresponsibilityseriouslywhenitcomestopromotinginclusivesustainableandequitabledevelopment.PhotoPlanAlBergPhotoEuropeanUnion2012