A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO
Dear DONOR, Did you know that there are 130 million girls between the ages of 6 and 17 out of school? That 15 million girls of primary-school age will never enter a classroom? That girls living in conflict contexts are more than twice as likely to be out of primary school as their counterparts in countries not affected by conflict? However, just one dollar invested in an additional year of schooling, particularly for girls, generates earnings and health benefits of $10 in low-income countries and nearly $4 in lower middle-income countries.
In addition, girls with secondary or higher education levels are three times less likely to marry as children compared to girls with no education. These are not just statistics – this is reality for millions of young women every day. Barriers such as child marriage, harassment and violence, and social discrimination keep girls from long-term, quality education, perpetuating poverty and increasing girls’ health risks and social disenfranchisement.
A Bipartisan legislation, the "KEEPING GIRLS IN SCHOOL" Act (H.R. 2153 / S.1071), was designed to harness the power of the U.S. Government to address this inequity through smart investments and coordination between U.S. Government agencies. The bill complements and builds off of existing guidance and legislation on education and child marriage in U.S. foreign policy and programmatic efforts, such as the U.S. Global Strategy to Empower Adolescent Girls.
By doing so, the bill addresses gaps in current policy and practice by focusing positively on overcoming the barriers that stand in girls’ way, such as:
• Emphasizing the importance of secondary education for girls and highlighting the need to bridge the gap in education between primary and secondary levels for adolescent girls.
• Stressing the importance of both access to and quality of education for girls by looking at girls' lives holistically, with attention to rights, quality of education, health, safety, and harmful practices.
• Leveraging innovative financing mechanisms to build broader and stronger partnerships globally to promote girls’ access to education and continued learning.
• Contributing to efforts to fight poverty and advance America's national security interests by promoting opportunities that could lead to more stability abroad.
"THE KEEPING GIRLS IN SCHOOL" Act brings much needed attention to the barriers that perpetuate the poverty and abuse that girls face worldwide. As an educator who cares about all children and their futures, I’m asking you to help us send girls back to school by donating to our cause. Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to your support.
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