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THURSDAY11OCTOBER2012GIRLSx19RIGHTSGAZETTE5EducationPlanx19sBecauseIamaGirlcampaignongirlsx19educationwillbelaunchedworldwideon11October2012UNESCODirectorGeneralIrinaBokovawithaspiringscientistsfromaFrenchhighschoolontheoccasionofWorldTeachersx19Day2011LearningforlifeFrompovertytoopportunityDEEPALISOODBecauseIamaGirlGlobalCampaignDirectorGloballyoneinthreegirlsisdeniedaneducationbythedailyrealitiesopovertydiscriminationandviolence.Toootenpovertyorcesamiliestochoosewhichotheirchildrentokeepinschool.Whenacedwiththisimpossiblechoicegirlsaretheoneswhomissoutbecausetheyarevaluedlessthanboys.Manygirlsinsteadbecomechildbridesx13marriedoduetotraditionorbecausetheywillbeonelessmouthtoeedwheninrealityitwillleavethemmorevulnerabletoviolenceisola-tionandearlypregnancywhentheiryoungbodiesjustarenx19tready.Butevenigirlsareluckyenoughtomakeitintotheclassroomtheirchal-lengesdonx19tendthere.Whengirlsreachpubertymanywillaceanincreasedthreatoabuseandviolenceincludingsexorgradesandsexualharassment.OneyounggirlromSierraLeoneexplainsx1cMymathematicsteacheraskedmetoallinlovewithhimbutIounditdix1cultormetodothat.Thisbecameaprob-lembetweenus.AnysmallmistakeorbadthingIdidIwasalmostalwayspunished.ThiswasoneothereasonsIhatedschoolanddroppedout.x1dNotonlyisthisunjustitx19salsoahugewasteopotentialwithseriousglobalconsequencesbecauseensuringaqualityeducationorgirlsisoneothesinglebestinvestmentswecanmaketohelpendpoverty.Webelieveeducatinggirlsistherightthingandthesmartthingtodo.Weknowromresearchthatigirlsreceiveatleastnineyearsoqualityeducationtheythemselvesbecomeagentsochangetheymarrylatertheyareabletobringuptheirchildrenhealthiertheywillbecomeeconomicactorstheywillhavehighersel-esteemandtakepartinthepoliticalprocessintheircountries.TheBecauseIamaGirlglobalcampaignisPlanx19scommitmenttosupportingmillionsogirlstogettheeducationskillsandsupporttheyneedtosecuretheirrightsandunleashtheirincrediblepotential.WeareinspiredbygirlslikeGloriaayoungwomanromSouthSudanaemalemechanicwhosetrainingwassupportedbyPlan.Shesaysx1cSometimeswhenIgohomewearingoverallseveryonestartslaugh-ingatme.Theyshoutx18WomenshouldnotbewearingoverallsItx19samanx19swork.x19ButIstaystrongbecauseIknowIamdoingtherightthingIamveryhappyandveryproudwhatamancandoawomancanalsodo.x1dMypersonalvisionorthecampaignisthatitwillbeanengineoattitude-changesothatallaroundtheworldgirlswillbevaluedasmuchasboys.ComingromapatriarchalIndianbackgroundIeltthedierentsocialvaluesattachedtogirlsandboysandwhenIbecameamotherhavingdaughterswasstillseenasadisappointment.Mydreamisthatwhenmydaughtersgrowupandhavechildrenotheirowntheywonx19thavetoacethesamestrugglesIdid.IknowBecauseIamaGirlwillbethex1rststeptoachievingthatdream.Weneedtobuildonthemomentumcre-atedthroughtheBecauseIamaGirlcam-paignandthroughimportanteventssuchasthex1rstInternationaldayotheGirlChildaswecannotallowgirlstobeorgot-tenatatimewhendevelopmentprioritiesorthenextgenerationarebeingdecided.Ihopebothpolicymakersandindividu-alsacrosstheEUwilljoinourcampaignandhelptomakesurethatbytheirchil-drenx19sgenerationgirlseverywherewillbeabletorealisetheirullpotentialinsocietiesthatrespectgirlsx19rightsanddig-nity.Supportinggirlsx19educationisoneothesinglebestinvestmentswecanmaketohelpendpoverty.Itwillsavelivesandtransormutures.Richandpoormenandwomengirlsandboysx13achievinggirlsx19rightsandamoregenderequalsoci-etybenex1tseveryone.PhotoPlanPhotoPatrickLagesUNESCOx18Blatantx19genderdisparitiesintransitionfromprimarytosecondaryIRINABOKOVADirectorGeneralofUNESCOEducationorgirlsandwomenisabasichumanrightandabreakthroughstrategyorsustainabledevelopment.ThisiswhyUNESCOispromotingeducationandgenderequalitythroughormalschoolingaswellasalternativenon-ormallearn-ingopportunities.AstheleadagencyotheEducationorAllEFAmovementUNESCOhasplacedgenderequalityattheheartoallitswork.Thestakesarehigh.Girlsandwomenhaveareweropportunitiestoaccessandcompleteeducationthantheirmalecounterparts.Thisisacauseandalsoaresultomultipleotenoverlappingreasonsincludingpovertygeographicalisolationearlymarriagesandpregnan-ciesgender-basedviolenceandotherdiscriminatorysocio-culturalpracticesandattitudes.Theprogressandreten-tionogirlsinschoolisaectedalsobynegativegenderstereotypesanddis-criminationineducationlawspolicieslearningcontentandteachingpracticesalongwithunsuitableandunsaelearn-ingenvironmentsandschool-relatedgender-basedviolence.UNESCOactsatmultiplelevelstotacklethesechallenges.Ourpositionisthatgenderequalityisabasichumanrighttowithinandthrougheducationx13arighttoeducationintermsoequalaccesstolearningopportunitiesarightwithinnewlylaunchedWorldAtlasoGenderEqualityinEducation.Onthisbasisweseektointegrateprovi-sionsorgenderequalityinnationaledu-cationlegalandpolicyrameworksplansandstrategies.Wecollaboratewithgov-ernmentstotraineducationpolicymakersplannersmanagersandteacherstobetteraccommodateandeducategirlsthroughgender-sensitivecontentandqualityteachingandlearningapproaches.BeyondormalschoolingUNESCOocusesoncreatinglearningopportunitiesorgirlsandwomenwhohaveneverenrolledorhavedroppedoutoschoolx13throughlit-eracyvocationalcoursesorinormallearn-ingandthroughcollaborationwithcivilsocietyandtheprivatesector.In2011UNESCOlaunchedaGlobalPartnershiporGirlsandWomenx19sEduca-tiontosharpenitsaction.Wearepartner-ingherewiththeprivatesectorincludingProcterandGamblethePackardFounda-tionGEMSEducationandtheBareootCollegetotakeorwardinnovativeproj-ectstopromotegirlsx19secondaryeducationandwomenx19sliteracy.WeareworkingwiththePackardFoundationorinstanceinremoteruraldistrictsoEthiopiaandTan-zaniatolowerdrop-outratesduringthetransitionalperiodbetweentheageso13and16x13whengirlspassromprimarytosecondaryeducationandtheriskodrop-pingoutishigher.Genderdisparitiesaremostblatantdur-ingthetransitionromprimarytosec-ondaryeducationandinthegenderratioamongilliterateadults.Wemusttargetbothpointstoreachthoseletbehindwhilemaintaininggainsachievedatotherlevelsoeducation.Tosucceedweneedtoactquicklywithocusandacrosstheboard.Mostoallweneedtoacttogetherx13tosupportgovernmentssocietiesandami-liesinmakingeducationarealityorallgirlsandwomen.Achievinggirlsx19rightsandamoregenderequalsocietybeneftseveryoneTosucceedweneedtoactquicklywithxaocusandacrosstheboardeducationintermsogender-sensitivecontentteachingpracticesenvironmentandtreatmentandarightthroughedu-cationintermsolearningoutcomeslieandworkopportunities.Advocacyisourx1rsttaskandthisdrawsonauniqueevidencebasex13includingthefagshipEFAGlobalMonitoringReportwhichcontainsextensivegenderanaly-sisandnewstatisticaltoolsandalsothe