Global youth advocating for girls’ right to education – and more

Malala Yousfazai has become the global symbol for a girls’ right to education – her determination to continue to advocate for equality and justice, in spite of the violence she suffered at the hands of the Taliban, is both crucial and admirable. Yet her strife is by no means an isolated case. More than 30 million girls are denied their right to an education because of a complex range of barriers which keep them out of the classroom, trapped in roles deemed suitable and traditional for their gender, locking them into the cycle of poverty. Gender discrimination, domestic responsibilities, early and forced marriage and the threat of violence and sexual abuse means girls are either absent from the classroom, or their participation is undermined or limited. As a result their learning is severely hindered.

Girls are always the most vulnerable

Recent research by Plan UK shows that girls are in an even more vulnerable state in times of conflict or emergency, and are more marginalized and at risk than their male counterparts. Girls whose education is interrupted by war are much less likely to return to school than boys, and girls are more likely to die during emergencies. Providing girls with a basic knowledge of HIV, disease transmission and sanitation, educating them about land mines, first aid and disaster risk reduction would go a long way to help limit the scale of devastation during emergencies, whilst helping to sustain and save lives. 66 million girls are denied any kind of primary or secondary education. A consultation conducted by the Youth Advocacy Group for the United Nations Secretary General’s Global Education First Initiative in June 2013 confirmed that youth advocates are passionate about girls’ education.

Youth take over the United Nations

This Friday, over 500 young people from more than 100 countries are gathering in New York for the first ever United Nations Youth Takeover – to share their experiences of education, participate in workshops and skills sessions and to hear Malala’s first public speech since the tragic shooting in October 2012. Youth from more than 45 countries contributed to consultations on the Youth Resolution: The Education We Want. This is the first document written entirely by young people outlining the concrete steps that they believe are necessary to resolve the education emergency, in which 57 million children are out of school and millions more are not learning.

And what’s more, this document represents the voices of the marginalized: It calls for the needs of all to be properly catered for. It demands respect and opportunity for all, including girls, people with disabilities and refugees.

Young people don’t want to wait any longer

This kind of youth advocacy is so powerful because youth themselves – those whose future rely upon the funding and provision of education by governments – are the ones responsible for holding decision-makers and service providers accountable. We understand and have been involved in the debates around crafting new post-2015 development goals, but we refuse to accept that the international community has done enough to achieve the promises it made in 2000. For too long, governments have prioritized access over quality. They must now recognize that if kids enrolled in school does not mean that they actually complete their education. Regular attendance does not mean those children are learning. Far too many children are making inadequate progress with basic literacy and numeracy skills, and so we are calling for rigorously trained, well qualified and professional teachers who can ensure that education is worthwhile.

Together we are strong!

When the Taliban decided to attack Malala Yousafzai last September, little did they realize that they would help awaken a sleeping giant and mobilize a generation of young people to stand up with this courageous icon declaring that enough is enough. Young advocates will not rest until every child is afforded an inclusive, equitable, quality education that allows them to fulfill their potential, achieve their ambitions and become a productive and valued member of their society.