Keilan Sweeney

The State of the Girl Child

            In Southwest Asia, millions of girls are uneducated in anything besides how to run a household. The priority for education is given to males and not even all of them are receiving one, diminishing the chances of schooling for many girls. Also, in the schools themselves, the buildings are poorly constructed or have no walls at all and have no bathrooms, making the girls less prone to attend if they have no toilet to use (“To Provide”). In general, from 1990 to 1998, the difference in boys and girls enrolled in school is 14% to 16% in favor of the boys (Interactive). The girls are clearly outnumbered which would also make it difficult to go to school in an environment where there are few people like you, discouraging other girls from enrolling. One of the most pressing issues, however, is how the majority of the countries that comprise Southwest Asia (which include India, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh) acknowledge the problem that this lack of education is, but the work they are doing to fix it has not yet been significantly successful.

            In India, for example, there is an act that allows girls who are only children in their family to get free secondary and university educations, as well as an 800 rupee scholarship to assist them and their families (Free). Families who have two daughters get half of the tuition paid per child but no scholarship. This should, in theory, increase the number of girls who receive higher education. It has, but only in the areas of India where girls are valued and therefore educated. In areas such as the Northwest, the desire for a boy greatly outweighs the desire of girls to the point where people commit infanticide on girls or just give them away. Here, the offer for free secondary education will serve little purpose if few girls make it that far. Additionally, there has been an effort to build Farmer’s Schools throughout Southwest Asia in order to educate the children on how to manage agriculture which is a common profession in that area. The governments of the Southwest Asia countries have made an effort to increase the number of educated children and giving equal opportunity to girls for that education by joining the Education For All (EFA) initiative, which aims to provide primary education for all children and eliminate gender biases in education systems. The initiative also outlines goals for each area to reach, the goals for Southwest Asia being Universal Primary education, adult literacy, and gender parity (Interactive). Unfortunately, Maldives is the only country so far to have reached all three goals, which are set to be accomplished by all 9 Southwest countries by the year 2015.

            The Catholic Church continues its work towards education by running schools in many of the countries is Southwest Asia such as India, where it is a minority organization. The Catholic Church undergoes attacks from Marxist schools and other student run organizations for participating in the Christian religion and other schools suffer the same persecution. Finally, in July 2007, leaders of religious education institutions, along with the Catholic Archdiocese Ernakulam-Angamaly, worked together to develop a council that would appeal to the government to get them to stop these opposing organizations from attacking religious institutions and allow them freedom to run themselves and not be dictated by the government (Carvalho). This council is called the Council for Minority Rights Protection (Carvalho). Should the government grant these requests, the educational situation of the girl child would be much safer and more girls would be able to prosper from the opportunity of education.

            There are many classic ways in which a Holy Names Academy girl could get involved in helping the girl child in Southwest Asia. There are needs to be met such as books, pencils, paper, teachers, and even needs that are seen as basic in America such as computers but that they have hardly a chance at receiving any time soon. Donations would be greatly appreciated by anyone in the areas of Southwest Asia, or just about anywhere in the world, but there are other ways of solving some problems that take much more time and maybe even a little risk. One idea would be to do an exchange with one of the students in Southwest Asia, but not the kind of exchange that first comes to mind. A new kind of exchange, where one of the girl children comes to America to stay with a Holy Names student for a couple of months or even an entire semester, and then when it is time for the student to return home, the Holy Names girl could go with her to help her bring the information she learned in America and at Holy Names back to her home village so that the knowledge is shared. The risk would be in going to Southwest Asia and to a school that may be under attack, and the Holy Names girl would have to sponsor the entire trip for both of them. However, the benefits for each girl would be life long in terms of the cultural experience they would have as well as the information they could gather. If the Holy Names girl could raise money to provide internet in the area of her new Asian friend then they could stay in touch and continue working together after their time was over. Another option would be to raise concern to the government about the imbalance between educated boys and educated girls in their country and petition or take other action to pass a law that would require the government to have equal numbers of each gender being educated. So for every boy in school there would have to be a girl as well, and they could even go to different schools as long as nation wide the number remained equal. There are many options to help these people as long as those who can afford to are willing to make sacrifices in order to benefit them.

Works Cited

Carvalho, Nirmala. “Kerala: Church Fighting for Freedom of Education.” www.asiannews.it. 2007. AsiaNews C.F. 20 October 2007.

http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=9837&size=A

“Free Secondary School and University Education for Girls to Stop Selective Female Abortions.” www.asiannews.it. 2003. AsiaNews C.F. 20 Oct. 2007. http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=4197

“Interactive Map: Status of Primary Education Worldwide.” www.pbs.org. 2002. The Education for All Assessment and EFA Global Monitoring Report. 20 Oct. 2007. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/shows/school/handbook4.html

“The Right to Education and the Girl Child.” www.girlsrights.org. 2006. Working Group on Girls. 20 Oct. 2007.

http://www.girlsrights.org/factsheets/updated/Education.pdf

“To Provide a Sufficient Learning Environment for Nepalese Children.” www.jica.go. 2003. The Project for Construction of Primary School Under Basic and Primary

Education Programme 2. 20 Oct. 2007. http://www.jica.go.jp/english/resources/publications/annual/2001/pdf/200108.pdf

                                                                                   back to top  

Erin Jackson

The Girl Child Affected by SCHIP Veto

        Debate over the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, has been raging in Washington, D.C for weeks now.  The just-expired health care program was created ten years ago to provide health care for children in low income families, but who made too much money to qualify for Medicaid.  In the ten years the program was in effect, it allowed millions of American children to receive basic health care at little to no cost.  Many in Congress recently worked hard on a bill to renew and increase funding for this health care program, but sadly, the bill was vetoed by President Bush and a congressional effort to override the veto failed.  Now, a large percentage of children are left without the basic health care they need.  Among these children are Bailey Jones, a three year-old girl from Texas, and Bethany Wilkerson, a Florida toddler.

            The Working Group on Girls (WGG) believes that national governments have a responsibility to “implement, through policy statements, program development, and resource allocation the commitments to girls’ rights” (WGG website).  One of the most basic rights girls deserve is the right to decent health care.  When George W. Bush vetoed the bi-partisan SCHIP bill, he also stripped this right from thousands of girls, including Bailey and Bethany. 

            Bailey Jones was left without a father in March of this year when he was tragically killed in a house fire.  Her single mom, Jamie, now struggles to provide the simple necessities for her daughter.  Because Jamie earned too much money to qualify for Medicaid, she turned to the SCHIP program to provide health care for her daughter.  Jamie was incredibly relieved to hear her child could be covered by the program, saying, “I knew no matter what happened, she was going to be okay.”

            Then, after receiving several months of health care benefits, Bailey was suddenly denied coverage by SCHIP. The denial was attributed to a lack of funding for the children’s health care plan.  Bailey’s mother was devastated, saying she just wanted “good insurance for [her] child.”  Unfortunately, Bush’s veto destroyed the possibility of increased funding for SCHIP, and Bailey is still without health insurance.

            Bethany Wilkerson has also been left in an unfortunate situation due to Bush’s veto of the SCHIP bill.  Bethany was born with a serious heart condition, and because her parents could not afford adequate health care coverage for their daughter, they also turned to SCHIP.  Bethany was able to receive treatment for her condition through SCHIP, and undoubtedly would not be alive today if it were not for the program.  Now Bethany and millions of other girls (and boys, for that matter) will not receive the care they need because of the failed bill.

            There are several different groups trying to rally support for a new bill expanding health care coverage for children no longer covered by SCHIP.  Many politicians on Capitol Hill, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, are urging Bush to work with Congress to ensure the expansion of SCHIP.  In a recent interview, Pelosi stated that she would be willing to negotiate, but, “the bottom line is that 10 million children are covered. That is not negotiable” (The Seattle Times).

Church groups are also hoping child health care is expanded in the United States.  The Catholic Health Association has denounced Bush for playing “partisan politics with the lives of 10 million children who are in desperate need of health-care coverage” (Sister Carol Keehan, president of CHA).  The United Methodist Church, Bush’s own church, has also condemned Bush’s veto.  Shortly before Congress voted on the bill, Rev. R. Randy Day, chief executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, sent a letter to every representative expressing his opinion that every child must be covered by health insurance and receive the care they need.  Jim Winkler, chief executive of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, also was very disappointed with Bush’s veto and hopes that new legislation will soon be sent to Congress again.

In order to increase funding for SCHIP and provide health care to girls and boys alike, Bush and Congress need to work together to come to an agreement on the best way to do expand the program.  It is also important for citizens of the United States to send letters to officials in Washington, D.C., expressing their opposition to the veto and their hope that a compromise can be reached.  Students across the nation can even become involved in supporting girls in need of health care by sending these letters to the President, Congress, and other government representatives.

        Works Cited

Alonso-Zaldivar, Ricardo. "House Fails to Override Child-Health Veto." The Seattle

Times 19 Oct. 2007. 19 Oct. 2007

<http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi

 bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=schip19&date=20071019&query=schip>.

"Background Information." Families USA. 18 Oct. 2007. Families USA. 19 Oct. 2007

<http://www.familiesusa.org/bushvskids/background-info.html>.

Birkey, Andy. "Saving a Sinking SCHIP: Bush, Bachmann Targeted by Religious Groups

on the Left and Right." Minnesota Monitor 16 Oct. 2007. 19 Oct. 2007

<http://www.minnesotamonitor.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2621>.

Brown, Matthew H. "The March of the Children on the Health Care Veto." Baltimore

Sun 15 Oct. 2007. 19 Oct. 2007

<http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2007/10/the_march_of_the

 children_on_t.html>.

Burka, Paul. "A CHIP Off the Old Bloc Vote." Texas Monthly. 30 Sept. 2007. Texas

Monthly. 19 Oct. 2007

<http://www.texasmonthly.com/blogs/burkablog/2007/09/chip-off-old-bloc

vote.php>.

"Catholic Health Association Condemns Bush Veto of SCHIP Bill." CWNews. 4 Oct.

2007. Catholic World News. 19 Oct. 2007

<http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=53947>.

Edwards, Chet. "Edwards Floor Speech in Support of Bill to Provide Health Coverage for

11 Million Kids Under Children’S Health Insurance Program." Congress. The House Floor, Washington, DC. 1 Aug. 2007. 19 Oct. 2007

<http://edwards.house.gov/html/speeches.cfm?id=977>.

Kane, Paul. "S-CHIP Showdown Could Affect 2008 Races." The Washington Post 25

Sept. 2007. 19 Oct. 2007

<http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitol

briefing/2007/09/house_set_for_chip_showdown_ca.html>.

"Right Wing Gleefully Smears Two Yr-Old SCHIP Recipient Bethany Wilkerson."

Think Progress. 16 Oct. 2007. Center for American Progress Action Fund. 19 Oct.

2007 <http://thinkprogress.org/2007/10/16/bethany-attacks/>.

"Working Group on Girls." Working Group on Girls. UNICEF. 19 Oct. 2007

<http://www.girlsrights.org/Default.php>.

                                                                                      back to top  

The Right to Education and the Girl Child

All throughout the world girls are subject to discrimination based solely on their sex.  The Working Group on Girls (WGG) NGO Committee on UNICEF has developed seven basic rights that the girl child has the right to attain.  One of the important rights named by the Working Group on Girls is the right to education and the girl child.  Attempts at increasing the levels and amount of education have been made across the world, but due to social and religious beliefs, the education of girls is often prohibited.  Improvements need to be made in order to better communities and increase literacy and education rates. Because girls and women are not able to promote their rights and fight for an education, it is the responsibility of church groups, governments, and all people to fight for the rights of the girl child.

            Many attempts have been made to increase education and literacy rates for women in Pakistan.  However, breaking social and religious tendencies and providing funding and schooling opportunities to the girl child, especially in rural areas, is very difficult.  In the rural areas of Pakistan education is often strictly prohibited for girls on religious basis.  Especially in the northern tribal areas of Pakistan, girls’ education is prohibited because of misinterpretations of Islam.  In such tribal areas “local landlords, even when they have little or nothing to do with religion or religious parties, oppose [education], apparently out of fear that people who become literate will cease to follow them with blind faith” (Latif).  As of 2004, only 63% of men and 36% of women in Pakistan were literate (UNICEF).  These numbers are startling, and it is difficult to determine whether increases will be made because of strict cultural beliefs.  One particular girl named Palwasha, a 9 year-old living in a small village in the Dir district, explained "I want to go to school to learn but I cannot because my parents do not allow me to do so…we have only one school for boys” (Latif).  Many girl children in Pakistan are forbidden to attend school because of their parents, or because of government and religious beliefs.  Also, extreme poverty is found in Pakistan.  Girls are often required to work in order to support their families, and thus cannot attend school. These girls have a deep desire to receive an education but their parents cannot afford it, or prohibit it.  The girls who are lucky enough to attend schools often must hike more than an hour to reach school, often along treacherous paths. School supplies are limited, and often given only to boys, so girls are required to use sticks in the dirt.

Catholic Relief Services, a prominent Catholic organization, has made many efforts to improve the situation of education throughout the whole world.  The CRS educational goal is to work with the most marginalized communities and “has three priorities for its education programming: 1) Access and Equity, 2) Quality Education, and 3) Community Participation” (Catholic Relief Services).  CRS especially helps in crisis areas such as earthquake areas in Pakistan, areas transitioning from crisis to stability, and stable areas.  Also, “Alkhidmat, a countrywide NGO, is running almost 100 non-formal schools in small villages of Sind, Baluchistan and NWFP Provinces, where not merely girls but adult women are admitted for basic primary education” (Latif).  Many NGO’s are responsible for starting and running hundreds of non-formal schools with opportunities for girls and women to receive a higher education.  This is a crucial step to the overall improvement of the education of the girl child and women in Pakistan society, as well as throughout the world.  The good news is that, “Pakistan’s government has made a serious commitment to improving social services for women and children, spending more than $16 billion over the past five years on initiatives such as universal health care, quality education and affordable housing” (UNICEF).  Although this is a very important step, these allocations cannot keep up with the increase in population.

            Although attempts have been made to improve the education of girls in Pakistan, more time, money, and awareness are needed.  The major problem with the education of the girl child is the belief that girls should not be educated and the government, religion, or family prohibiting girls from attending schools.  A major change in Pakistani culture is necessary in order for girls to receive an education.  It is important to raise awareness that the education of the girl child could help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, increase income for families, boost the country’s economy, and help prevent the high number of deaths in childbirth.  When one woman is educated, her children will also be educated, and it will extend to a long line of higher educated families and communities.  Even if girls are allowed to attend school, the schools still need supplies in order to teach the children.  First world countries will need to play an important role in raising money and collecting donations to supply schools with paper, pencils, pens, books, and other school supplies.

I believe that everyone needs to take action in order to better the education levels and literacy of girls and women.  The first step is to raise awareness. In order to do this I think everyone should read Greg Mortensen’s Three Cups of Tea, which focuses on the education of girls in Pakistan.  By reading this book, I think society would become more aware of the problems with girls’ rights and want to help better the girl child’s education.  I also think that the community of Holy Names Academy in Seattle, Washington needs to take action to live more in solidarity with the girls in Pakistan.  My idea is that our normal fundraisers, such as Jogathon and Candy Sale, be included in our year’s total tuition by adding two to three hundred dollars to our tuition bill.  But, then we should still continue with our fundraisers.  During Jogathon time we could send out letters, asking for money from friends and family, but explain that all of our money is going to build schools in Pakistan, or buy supplies to support schools.  We could continue to sell candy, but the money made could also go to support the education of many girl children.

            Quoting the Working Group on Girls’ slogan, “Today’s Girl is Tomorrow’s Woman, Don’t Leave Her Behind”, it is necessary to make improvements to the girl child’s right to an education.  By educating one girl child, a country is providing an opportunity for an increase in education and literacy, greater awareness regarding spread of disease and childbirth, and a boost to the economy.

Works Cited

Catholic Relief Services. "Education." Giving Hope to a World of Need. 2007. 21 Oct.             2007             http://crs.org/education/.

Latif, Aamir. "Alarming Situation of Education in Pakistan." UNESCO. 21 Oct. 2007             http://www.unesco.org/education/efa/know_sharing/grassroots_stories/pakistan_2         .shtml.

UNICEF. "Pakistan." For Every Child Health, Education, Equality, Protection.  UNICEF.         21 Oct. 2007 http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/pakistan.html.

Working Group on Girls. "The Right to Education and the Girl Child." May 2006. Working        Group on Girls of the NGO Committee on UNICEF. 21 Oct. 2007             http://www.girlsrights.org/factsheets/updated/Education.doc.

Working Group on Girls. "Today’s Girl Is Tomorrow’s Woman, Don’t Leave Her Behind."       2006. Working Group on Girls of the NGO Committee on UNICEF. 21 Oct. 2007          http://www.girlsrights.org/Default.php.

                                                                                     back to top  

Leela Holman

The Right to Education and the Girl Child

            The world today is not fair and equal. Some groups of people are treated badly and not allowed to reach their full potential. Females are one of these groups, especially young girls. Every girl, no matter who or where she is, needs to have the right to education.

            Girls are extremely important to society. The Working Group on Girls says that they are the “women of tomorrow” ("Girls' Situation"). Girls will become the mothers, the caretakers of children, the nurturers. If they are not taken care of now, these girls will not be able to live up to their full potential and help others do the same. There are too many places in the world where girls are not taken care of. This lack of care, or “low value placed on girls” leads to “exclusion, exploitation and violence” ("Girls' Situation"). Without some simple steps such as education, girls cannot reach their potential to change society and bring it to good. Girls should have the same rights as everyone else, in every part of the world.

            This specific issue of education for girls is a major problem in many places, including Afghanistan. As a whole, only 35% of enrolled children are girls in Afghanistan. This number is boosted by large cities where more girls are in school, but in the rural areas, only 20% of students are girls ("In Afghanistan…"). Most girls, if they are allowed to go to school, must walk many miles in danger to get there. Soldiers and warlords waiting around the area do not hesitate to kill young girls passing by. Many men in Afghanistan are afraid of educated women because they present a threat. The Taliban members are supposed to get the approval of their mothers before joining.  Since the women are not educated, they have no reason to say no. But the mothers who are educated do not allow their sons to cause this immense violence (Mortensen). It is not only the Taliban that block education of girls. Other problems have been working against them too, including “economic hardships and cultural and religious conservatism” that have “never allowed the authorities to pay attention to the promotion of education, especially for females. The value of education was never considered” (“In Afghanistan…"). Women are not seen as very important in Afghanistan. There are very strict rules regulating them, which do not allow women to grow and reach their full potential. It is very sad that women are restricted in these ways, when they have so much power to change the world. 

Everyone in the world can help girls gain the right to education. Just as Greg Mortensen showed Holy Names Academy in Seattle, Washington in his presentation in 2007, it is easy for people to raise money and build schools. There are so many limitations holding girls back from education, having a place to learn should not be one of them. The Working Group on Girls speaks the truth when it says, “The most effective way to ensure quality education for all children is to eliminate the barriers for girls” (“Girls’ Situation”). When people join together to work for a common goal, they have so much power and ability. The lack of schools is one barrier that can be surpassed relatively easily, but the other ones may not be this simple. One group, called the World Bank, has been raising money to improve communities in Afghanistan. Since April 2002, the World Bank has given $317 million in grants and an additional $441 million in no-interest loans for development projects (“In Afghanistan…”). If more organizations work like this, Afghanistan could be a much better place for women.

Large companies and organizations may have more money and resources to give, but there is still much that a student can do. One of the most important actions is to spread information. It seems that too many people have no idea what is going on in other countries because they are so comfortable with what they have. If only people could see that girls are being killed for trying to go to school, or letting their sons kill because the mothers are not educated. My plan is to first make posters with information about girls and education and place them around my school. This issue is very real to us at Holy Names Academy because we are young women. We understand about gender discrimination and really value our right to education in the United States. After I make posters, I will make a club for Girls and Education Globally. Everyone in the school would be welcome to come to the meetings, regardless of how much they know. We will talk about the issue of girls lacking education and spread more information to the whole school before branching out to the community. We could talk to other catholic schools, trying to get them to initiate similar clubs and spread information. Another goal, besides spreading awareness, would be to raise money. I would plan fun and informational fundraisers with a theme of the power of women and their importance. Not only bake sales, but fun challenges with prizes would be some of my approaches. The next part would be talking to local officials and trying to get them to spread the information and help us do something about worldwide education As long as people are involved and working together, all this would work well and be fun. One person’s ideas can change the world, as long as they put in effort and get the help of others. 

Works Cited

"Building a Future in Afghanistan." Green Village Schools. 2007. Green Village Schools. 21 Oct. 2007 <http://www.greenvillageschools.org/main.htm>.

"Girls' Situation." Working Group on Girls. 2006. Working Group on Girls of the NGO Committee on UNICEF. 21 Oct. 2007 <http://www.girlsrights.org/girls.php>.

Hickling, Allison. "Girls' Education in Afghanistan Lifts Off with School Supply Shipment." Press Centre. 6 Feb. 2003. UNICEF. 21 Oct. 2007 <http://www.unicef.org/media/media_7322.html>.

"In Afghanistan, Out of Conflict and Into School." Girls' Education. 11 Nov. 2004. The World Bank Group. 21 Oct. 2007 <http://go.worldbank.org/HCZ4GXMYK0>.

Mortensen, Greg. Presentation to Holy Names Academy. 27 Sept. 2007.

                                                                                     back to top  

The Right to Education and the Girl Child

Is it morally right to prevent the chance of a human being receiving schooling on matters of the world? As shown in numerous real-life examples as well as violations in natural rights of human beings, no person is to ever be denied the right to learn. Looking at the present standing of society today, it is painfully clear that the right to education is being denied certain girl children of the world. Even more importantly, it is partly the duty of other human beings to take a stand against this violation of rights and improve the lives of the denied girl children.

To take a stand against the mentioned injustice, one must first comprehend the unacceptable conditions of the inequality of education of the girl child. A general fact on the education of girls is the following: approximately 100 million children are still not enrolled in primary school, 55% of them are girls. Girl children to this day are outnumbering their male counterparts in lack of education--a fact that requires awareness and aid. Additionally, over 65 million girls in the global south, that is, mainly areas in South America, Africa do not go to school at all. Millions of girls in today’s world without education leads to the detrimental backsliding of society: lack of sex education and healthcare for girls leads to the spread of diseases such as HIV/AIDS, lack of educational opportunity for the girl child leading to the restriction of girls to the household and levels below men. Review of the education of girls and literacy rates shows that "women and girls are less literate than men; worldwide, only 88 adult women are considered literate for every 100 men" (“The Right to Education and the Girl Child”). Another example of the conditions of education and the girl child is this, "while education for both boys and girls leads to increased income for individuals and for nations, the education of girls leads to greater gains; for every year of school, wages for women increase by 10-20 percent" (“The Right to Education and The Girl Child”). As statistically proven, the more education a girl receives, the greater chance of her working harder later in life, contributing work, and adding positive economic impact within society. On an even greater scale, the education of children is severely disregarded in society’s steps of action towards helping eradicating global issues: total aid to basic education accounts for only 2.6% of all official development assistance. Piecing together and recognizing the saddening facts of the deplorable condition of education of the girl child, one must additionally comprehend solutions to the assistance of re-asserting the right of the girl child.

Beneficial plans of action have been set into motion by various individuals and church groups to improve the education of the girl child. To start with, there is the inspirational work of Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea. Three Cups of Tea is a non-fiction work that vividly details Mr. Mortenson’s experience with a small village in Pakistan; upon getting to know the elders and impoverished children of the village, Mortenson decided to dedicate himself to bringing about the education of young children all around the world. Greg Mortenson is achieving his highly admirable goal through numerous assemblies with schools in the United States, as well as other parts of the world, raising money through the charity, "Pennies for Peace" and distributing his book.

In one of his visits, Greg Mortenson spoke to the Holy Names Academy in Seattle, Washington in October 2007, saying that education of girls is the greatest step of action towards obtaining world peace. A religious group known as the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, has also gone to great lengths to promote the right of the education of the girl child. The Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary form a Christian group that reaches to various parts of the globe, mainly teaching youth through schooling and service. Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary especially strive towards educating the youth of the world, "Since our foundation, our concern has been to promote education in all its forms. This spirit of our origins motivates us always" (What We Do- SNJM, 2007). Numerous Sisters of Holy Names dedicated their lives especially towards educating girls in schools throughout the world, ranging from Peru to Lesotho, from Seattle to Winnipeg. Building upon the actions of specific individuals and groups, people of this world are able to take action and promote the right of education of the girl child.

An opportunity to assist the education of the girl child exists within the community of Holy Names in Seattle. Since modern technology is ever more prominent in today’s society, there is a way to help educate others and promote action for the education of the girl child through the online community site called Facebook. One of the aspects of Facebook is an opportunity to create a group called a "Cause" to invite people around the globe who have Facebook to join, raise awareness, and donate money to the "Cause." Therefore, a group to support the "Right to Education of the Girl Child" could be formed, giving links to honest organizations connected, opportunity to donate money that would go through "Pennies for Peace," helping those around the globe to further their understanding of today’s issues and helping to build more schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. As many Holy Names students belong to Facebook, this group has potential to gain much support and aid in the cause as a whole.

Overall, the right to education of the girl child is an issue that weighs heavily upon the world today, needing to be recognized and addressed. Human beings must first realize their moral obligation to help the girl child, comprehend the reality of the situation, and understand that there is action being taken and more help necessitated.

Works Cited

"Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women."

Division for the Advancement of Women: Department of Economic and Social Affairs. 2007. 21 Oct. 2007. <http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/cedaw.htm>.

"Links." Unanima International. 2007. 21 Oct. 2007. <http://www.unanima-

            international.org/english/links.htm>.

Mortenson, Greg. "About Three Cups of Tea." 2007. 21 Oct. 2007.

            <http://www.threecupsoftea.com/AboutBook.php>.

Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. "What We Do." SNJM. 2007. 21

Oct.   2007. <http://www.snjm.org/EnglishContent/mmreng.htm>.

"The Right of Education and the Girl Child." Working Group on Girls: Education. 2007.

            21 Oct. 2007. <http://www.girlsrights.org/girls.php>.

                                                                      back to top  

Rachel Izzo

Sex Trafficking in the United States

It is known throughout the world that sex trafficking of women and children is all too common. However, many people neglect to acknowledge that this is not just a problem associated with other countries; it is a problem too common in the United States as well. It is estimated that 50,000 women and children are trafficked into the U.S. each year (“Sex Trafficking of Women in the United States”) – a number far too large to ignore. One specific incidence that illustrates the typical pattern of sex trafficking in the United States occurred in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1998, the FBI raided a brothel in Atlanta, where they found eight girls, aged 15-16, living in prison-like conditions. Later, they discovered the brothel to be only one in a nation-wide string of brothels that operated in 14 different states. The FBI also discovered that between 500-1000 girls, aged 13-25, had been trafficked through the house in Atlanta. Girls would often stay there about two weeks before being shipped to another brothel. Brothels were surrounded by barbed-wire fences, creating prison-like circumstances. These women, who were all Asian, were trafficked into the country by Asian smugglers who demanded repayments of $40,000. Eventually, after hundreds of sex-acts, some women were able to purchase their freedom, but because they were illegal, they had nowhere to go (“Sex Trafficking of Women in the United States”).

            Trafficking in the United States is not only limited to illegal immigrants. Many sex businesses prey on teenage girls in the U.S. In 1999, 15 men were arrested for operating a prostitution ring stationed in Minneapolis. The ring had been in operation for 17 years and thrived by forcing teenage girls into prostitution. The girls were kept there and maintained with repeated rapes, beatings, and death threats (“Sex Trafficking of Women in the United States”). Another typical incidence involved a 15-year old girl from a suburban town being abducted from her own driveway. Over the next 40 days, she was forced to have sex with over 50 men, was periodically gang-raped, beaten, abused, and forced to live in a dog-kennel. Girls in this situation often cannot escape because they "are human beings who are owned by someone else, who lack the ability to walk away, who lack the ability to make a decision in their own self-interest to do something else” (“Teen Girls’ Stories of Sex Trafficking in the U.S.”). It is a horrifying reality that occurs on a daily basis.

            Governments and religious organizations have worked long and hard to combat such a horrendous issue. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) works “to help prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation; help find missing children; and assist victims of child abduction and sexual exploitation, their families, and the professionals who serve them” (NCMEC). Some of its activities include the operation CyberTipline, which the public uses to report incidences of internet-related sexual exploitation, distributing photos of missing children internationally, and providing technical assistance to law-enforcement agencies regarding cases involving missing and exploited children. Another useful technique is implemented on the CBS show “Without a Trace”. Although not specifically used for human trafficking, each time “Without a Trace” airs, it features a missing person. These broadcasts have led to the safe recovery of individuals, including a child who had been missing since 2002 (“Two Boys Found Alive; One Missing since 2002). This mode of exposure can be extremely helpful in recovering sexually-exploited and missing children.

Also, the government has developed a system in order to help victims of trafficking in the U.S. People who have been identified as victims of trafficking get special benefits under the U.S. government. They can apply for a T-Visa, which is a special three-year visa for victims of trafficking that can allow them to apply for citizenship at the end of the three-year period. They can also be “certified” as a victim of trafficking by ORR, granting them rights associated with refugees, and giving them access to special resettlement programs. Child victims do not have to be certified; if determined eligible by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), they are placed in state-specialized foster care programs known as Unaccompanied Refugee Minor programs.

            Similarly, many religious organizations have devoted their time and efforts to helping women exploited by the sex industry. The Mary Magdalene Project helps women who have been victimized by street prostitution and gives them a chance to turn their lives around. By attending “an intensive and comprehensive program, the women face, cope with and then overcome the many obstacles that life has dealt them” (Mary Magdalene Project). The USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) has also taken action to prevent sexual exploitation. The USCCB has three federally funded programs to assist survivors of sex trafficking and to raise awareness about the issue of trafficking. They also convene the Coalition of Catholic Organizations against Human Trafficking. This includes over 20 national and international Catholic organizations united together for the common goal of eliminating human trafficking.

            Although work is being done to eliminate the vile crime of sex trafficking, much work still needs to be done. It is identified that the “three P’s of prevention, protection, and prosecution belong together” (“Sex Trafficking of Women in the United States”). Public awareness is the most important tool in preventing sex trafficking. Very little has been done on the local level of governments to spread the issue, which needs to change. Media use of information is vital in both countries of origin for those trafficked and the the destination country the U.S. Education in immigrant communities is also vitally important, so that immigrants can identify risks and possible endangerment involved in either immigrating to the U.S., or becoming associated with trafficking. The penalties for trafficking are also not fit for the crime at hand. Prosecution is difficult, and pimps are normally on the streets the next day. Only victims can testify, and if they believe that their abuser will receive a light sentence, they will not comply, for fear of retaliation once the pimp is on the streets again. Similarly, those who are undocumented are fearful of coming forward to report their crime. Their status as undocumented workers needs to be ignored for the moment; they are victims of criminal activity, not criminals themselves. With such intricacies in the governmental system, it is difficult for victims of trafficking to be viewed wholly as victims, and not partly as criminals, which needs to change.

            Communities need to take action in promoting change and help to the victims. This is a problem that cannot be ignored.  Some of the most potent individuals of society are teenagers. Teens have the power to connect with other girls, no matter where they are, and have the power and motivation to change society. Volunteering at an agency that helps abused and trafficked women, putting up signs around school, holding information sessions, are all easy steps young girls can take to help others in need. It is so important that girls be educated in this issue; imagine what it would be like to be in that situation? Many victims of sex trafficking are teenage girls, right here in America, not too far from home. Exposing the issue to young women drives them to change the situation because they can imagine what it would be like for them, if they were in that situation. By educating women about the issue and danger of human trafficking, the ripple effect will take place, and each woman, touched by what other women just like them are experiencing, will implement their own talents and raise awareness to end the hideous crime of sex trafficking.

Works Cited

"Human Trafficking." Migration and Refugee Sources. USCCB. 21 Oct. 2007

<http://www.usccb.org/mrs/traffickingweb.shtml>.

"The Mary Magdalene Project." Mary Magdalene Project. 2006. The Mary Magdalene Project. 21 Oct. 2007 <http://www.mmp.org/>.

"National Mandate and Mission." 2007. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 21 Oct. 2007

<http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?

LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=1866>.

Sex Trafficking of Women in the United States. Ed. Raymond, Janice G. March 2001. Coalition Against Trafficking in Women. 16 Oct. 2007.

<http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/sex_traff_us.pdf>.

"Stepping up the fight against sex trafficking." Religion Newswriters 12 June 2006. 21 Oct. 2007 <http://www.religionlink.org/tip_060612.php>.

"Teen Girls' Stories of Sex Trafficking in U.S.” ABC News 9 Feb. 2006. 14 Oct. 2007 <http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/Story?id=1596778&page=1>.

"Two Boys Found Alive; One Missing since 2002." CNN 13 Jan. 2007. 21 Oct. 2007

<http://www.tv.com/tracking/viewer.html?sls_id=5866&ref_type=101&ref_id=7449&tag=updates;title;0>.

                                                                              back to top  

Laura  Yackley

The United Nations

To The Working Group on Girls:

            Violence against women is an issue that the common girl child faces in society today.  Sadly, gender violence is “the most pervasive yet least recognized human rights abuse in the world” (www.unfap.org).  One of the most atrocious forms of violence against women occurs in Pakistan under the guise of “honor killing.”

            The term “honor killing” describes the act of murdering a woman for supposed immoral behavior which could potentially bring dishonor to her family.  Many concerned people are calling for this term to be changed to “femicide” because opponents of “honor killing” desire for any reference to “honor” to be removed from this act. 

            Femicide is a serious issue for Pakistan because this act is generally culturally accepted.  According to The Fate of Pakistani Women, “the concept of women as property and honor are so deeply entrenched in the social, political and economic fabric of Pakistan that the government, for the most part, ignores the daily occurrence of women being killed and maimed by their families” (Jones).  In truth, families kill their sisters, mothers, and wives while entire communities and the authorities cover up the murders. 

Many correlate this problem with gender-based inequalities on the social level, not on a biological level.  In other words, men take part in violence against women because of how society views masculinity.  To be a stereotypical man means to be strong, authoritative, and protective.  When a female engages in an act that is viewed as immoral, it is viewed as an affront on the “honor” or masculinity of her male relatives; she undermines the authority of her male relatives and they have failed to protect her.  Therefore, men perceive that action must be taken to restore honor and their masculinity.  Although men usually are the perpetrators of femicide, they sometimes unfortunately have the support of both their male and female relatives.

Much work must be done to curb gender violence.  According to a case study on “gendercide,” honor killings have been reported in many countries, including Bangladesh, Britain, Brazil, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Morocco, Sweden, Turkey, Uganda, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran (Jones).  Femicide is a problem that is clearly widespread and not limited to countries in the Middle East.  There have been two groups who have been instrumental in raising awareness about gender violence.  Specifically in Pakistan, the Working Women Organization (WWO) has done much to raise awareness about gender issues.  This organization has raised general awareness in the Pakistani public through the media, leaflets, plays and lectures.  The WWO has also worked in conjunction with the second group, “The 16 Days Campaign.”  The 16 Days Campaign is an organization that began in 1991 in order to raise awareness about gender violence on a global level.  The organization calls for “16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence.” In 2007 the “16 Days” will begin on November 25^th and end on December 10^th.  During this time, participants are encouraged to educate, organize activities, lobby the government and invite men to participate in anti-violence against women activities.  The White Ribbon Campaign is another organization which has been instrumental in working against violence against women.  It is “the largest effort in the world of men working to end men’s violence against women”

(www.whiteribbon.ca/about_us/).  Through education, support for women’s groups and fundraisers, this organization is successfully campaigning against gender-based violence.

There are many church groups that have made an effort to raise awareness about violence against women.  In March of 2007 St. Bartholomew’s, an Anglican church in New York, organized an International Women’s Day meeting, which solely discussed violence against women (www.womensdaynyc.org/).  In 2005, the Holy See wrote a letter to the chairman of a United Nations committee on gender equality which condemned all forms of violence against women (Letter from the Holy See). 

The Human Rights Watch organization in 2000 described the Pakistani governement’s response to gender violence as “indifferent at best” (Human Rights Watch).  In 2005, legislation was passed that required a court order before women could be detained in rape cases.  In the past, women had been charged with adultery in cases of rape.  In January of 2005, a law was created that proposed more serious charges for those involved in honor killings, but “the authorities generally do not aggressively prosecute or convict the perpetrators of violence against women” (www.freedomhouse.org).  Although slow-moving, hopefully more laws will be passed in the near future. 

There are many improvements that are being proposed by many organizations.  More laws need to be passed that promote the rights of females in Pakistan, those laws need to be actively enforced, and more shelters for victimized women must be built.  Like any issue that is not generally discussed, awareness about violence against women must be more wide-spread.  According to www.unfap.org, in order to truly end gender-based violence, many cultural ideas about masculinity need to be changed.

The world must take action against femicide and gender-based violence because it is too common to be ignored.  The Pakistani National Authority must pass legislation about gender-based violence and honor killings in order to bring femicide to an end in Pakistan.  The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) “recognizes that ending gender-based violence will mean changing cultural concepts about masculinity, and that process must actively engage men, whether they be policy makers, parents, spouses or young boys” (Ending Widespread Violence Against Women).  Since the main cause of gender violence begins with cultural ideas about masculinity, it makes sense and is important that men participate in its eradication. 

It is imperative that women in all countries join together to talk about violence against women.  Women should be able to talk with other women about their experiences in a safe, anonymous environment.  I propose that a website be dedicated to awareness about gender violence.  On this website, women from around the world can share their stories in order to bring about healing for the women and raise awareness about gender violence.   

I hope that my proposal brings the issues surrounding gender-based violence to the forefront in the minds of the committee and that appropriate action can be taken to eliminate gender-based violence of all forms. 

Works Cited

"2007 Campaign Theme." 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence. The Center for Women's Global Leadership. 20 Oct.   2007 <http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/16days/kit07/theme.html>.

               Crime or Custom? Violence Against Women in Pakistan. Human Rights Watch. New York: Women\'s International Network, 2000. 21 Oct. 2007 <http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2872/is_1_26/ai_62795173/print>.

Ending Widespread Violence Against Women. United Nations Population Fund. New York: UNPF. 18 Oct. 2007 <http://www.unfpa.org/gender/violence.htm>.

             Freedom in the World 2007: Pakistan. Freedom House. 2007. 21 Oct. 2007 <http://www.freedomhouse.org/uploads/press_release/pakistan_FIW_07.pdf>.

             The Holy See. "The Implementation of the Outcome of the Fourth World Conference." 14 Oct. 2005. The Vatican, 2005.

             "International Women's Day." 20 Oct. 2007 <http://womensdaynyc.org/>.

Jones, Adam. Case Study: "Honour" Killings and Blood Feuds. Gendercide Watch. 18 Oct. 2007 <http://www.gendercide.org/case_honour.html>.

             A Question of Security: Violence Against Palestinian Women and Girls. Human Rights Watch. New York, 2006. 18 Oct. 2007 <http://hrw.org/reports/2006/opt1106/>.

              Report of Sixteen Days Campaign Against Gender Violence. Working Women Organization. Lahore, 2004. 20 Oct. 2007  <http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/16days/kit04/calattach/Pakistan%20-%20WWO%20report.doc>.

    "The White Ribbon Campaign." 21 Oct. 2007 <http://www.whiteribbon.ca/>.                   

                                                                                               back to top        

Caroline Read

            Today’s girl child faces many hardships and difficulties in her life.  Women’s rights have come a long way in the past century, especially in industrialized and western countries.  In those countries today, women have the same rights as men and many aspects of life are considered equal between the two genders.  Yet, in many developing areas of the world the equality between men and women is lacking.  Men and young boys are more respected than their female counterparts and have many more opportunities socially and financially.  Especially concerning education, a majority of boys in developing countries have the opportunity to attend school and receive some form of education.  Girls, on the other hand, have little chance of being able to receive any schooling.  Out of the 10 million children not in school, 60 per cent are girls, and at the age of 18, girls will have received an average of 4.4 years less of education. (Girl Child)  The difference in equality in education is especially apparent in sub-Sahara Africa.  It is one of the areas that has the least equality in education.  As females, it is a girl’s duty to help with daily chores such as walking many miles to collect water for the day, collect food, and cook meals for the family.  Also, many girls’ families do not see the use of educating a girl; to them it is just an extra cost.  Fatimah Bamun, who lives in Ethiopia, was forced to drop out of the first grade when her father refused to pay for her paper and pencils.  Fortunately for Fatimah, her teacher convinced her father to provide the costs so she could continue with her schooling.  Now in the fourth grade, Fatimah is one of the three girls in the entire school who has made it past the third grade and is the only girl in her grade (LaFraniere).  This example clearly demonstrates just how unimportant young girls’ education is in some of the more undeveloped areas of the world. 

            Despite some attempts to change the lack of education in sub-Saharan African countries, the problem looks as if it will not disappear any time soon.  In fact, the number of girls out of school in this region rose from 20 million in 1990 to 24 million in 2002 (Sengupta).  In 2000, the United Nations Millennium Summit made it one of their goals to reach gender equality in schools by 2005.  Obviously, this goal was certainly not met in many parts of the globe, especially sub-Saharan Africa.  If anything, the conditions for girls schooling are worsening.  As before, girls are being married off once they reach puberty. 

Another aspect of life is keeping them from school as well.  Many parents are dying from AIDS, leaving their daughters to care for the family.  If the “breadwinner” of the family dies, there is no way to fund an expense such as education.  Additionally, the funding for education from both private and government donors has decreased. According to a study by the Global Campaign for Education, Niger, which had outlined a $96 million proposal to establish free primary education, has barely received half of the aid it needs for this bold yet necessary plan.  At this point, only 24 per cent of the nation’s girls and 36 per cent of the boys are in school (Sengupta).  It is blatantly obvious that education will help stop many of the travesties occurring in Niger and many other countries similar to it, both in Africa and in Asia.  Improvements in education are necessary to fix the many other problems of developing countries. Education of a population in general, but especially of a girl child helps to end cycles of poverty and of disease.  When a girl is educated she is more likely to raise her children in a sanitary environment and protect the lives of her family.  She is also more likely to send her own children to school, thus ending the cycle of poverty. 

            Very many improvements are needed for the cause of education for girls in sub-Saharan African countries.  First of all, funding is needed to support the education of girls.  The plan to establish proper schooling should be a joint effort with outside forces and also with that nation’s government, just as the government of Niger tried to set up a schooling system with outside funding.  This funding, however, cannot just be towards schooling in general.  To be able to educate the girl child, nations must make an effort to especially support the education of the girl child.  Many times parents cannot give up the labor that a girl provides or are unable to supply the costs.  At one school in Ethiopia, the school set up a daycare for younger siblings of the girl students so that they could be able to attend school and not have to watch over their siblings instead (Sengupta).  There are many obstacles in the way of girls in sub-Saharan Africa from receiving education.  The very first problem that needs to be addressed is this one.  Before anything else, the number of girls in school must equal the number of boys.  However, the number of students total being educated must increase as well.  In many sub-Saharan nations, fewer than half of the children are being educated.  Also, the level of education and the quality of education must increase as well.

            The people that need to take action on this issue are everyday people.  Citizens must petition their government to provide funds for such third world countries as Niger to help with the education of the girl child.  Also, people need to tell their friends about this issue, write in to their local paper.  At Holy Names Academy in Seattle, Washington, Greg Mortenson in Pakistan came to talk to the student population about the education of the girl child.  Now, as all of us are aware of the issue, we need to help spread the word and contribute to this issue.  The school has already had a collection of financial donations, which is the first step.  Holy Names Academy must keep fundraising and spreading the word not only about the education of girls in the Middle East, but of girls in Africa as well.  Also, there are SNJM schools in Lesotho where they already help to educate many girls (even though it is not in sub-Sahara Africa, it still makes a difference).  As a school, Holy Names can raise funds for their sister school in Africa to help educate the girls in that area.

Bibliography

"Gender." Basic Education and Gender Equality. UNICEF. 19 Oct. 2007 

               <http://www.unicef.org/girlseducation/index_focus_gender.html>. 

"Girl Child." United Nations Cyberschoolbus. 19 Oct. 2007 

               <http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/briefing/girl/>. 

"Introduction." Basic education and gender equality. UNICEF. 19 Oct. 

               2007 <http://www.unicef.org/girlseducation/>. 

LaFraniere, Sharon. "For Girls in Africa, Education is Uphill Fight." 

               International Herald Tribune. 23 Dec. 2005. 19 Oct. 2007 

               <http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/12/22/news/ethiopia.php>. 

Sengupta, Somini. "African Girls' Route to School Is Still Littered 

               with Obstacles." nytimes.com. 14 Dec. 2003. The New York Times. 

               19 Oct. 2007

               <http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE3DF133CF937

               A25751C1A9659C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print>. 

                                                                                      back to top

Olivia Frederick

Pakistani Girls’ Educational Rights

The Convention on the Rights of the Child set out to, “recognize the right of the child to education, and with a view to achieving this right progressively and on the basis of equal opportunity.” Unfortunately, in Pakistan the lack of acceptance for female education yields a sixty percent illiteracy rate and a ratio of ten boys to one girl in schools. The people of Pakistan live their lives according to the Islamic religious text of the Quran. One of the most influential Quran reciters, Qasmi exclaims, “Women receiving ‘modern’ education have no love for Islam” (Sikland). The long-standing traditions limit women’s education to religious and domestic matters. A modern education is correlated with the western society, which Muslims deem immoral. Women who exercise their right to an education are disregarding the fundamental teachings of Islam. The few girls who attend school must endure terrorist threats from Taliban extremists. The Taliban prohibit the education of girls and their threats have forced many schools to shut down. Too frightened to join the boys at school many girls succumb to their gender role and remain home. Without proper schooling the possibilities of abuse, HIV, death from childbirth, child’s death, and exploitation increase. Some of the people of Pakistan disregard the education policies of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Some helpful people have recognized the obvious need for improvement in the educational rights of Pakistani girls. Greg Mortenson presents a compelling story of pure compassion in his book Three Cups of Tea. With the death of his sister Mortneson decided to climb Pakistan’s K2 Mountain. Discouraged by weather and illness during the climb, Mortenson found himself recovering in the Korphe village. In the village he witnessed children practicing school lessons outside in the dirt ground. Shocked with the lack of funding, Mortenson promised to build a school for the eager children. The funds for this project started with him selling all his possessions and writing countless letters for financial support. These selfless acts led to a humanitarian campaign that would bring education to over 14,000 girls and set up sixty-one schools. Mortenson emphasizes education for girls and states, “Uou can drop bombs, hand out condoms, build roads, or put in electricity, but until the girls are educated a society won’t change” (Mortenson). The Pakistani girl needs to be educated in order to improve society.

Many church groups have contributed to the effort to bring education to girls. The United Methodists in Virginia collected school supplies to be sent to Pakistan. One of the main problems with the education is the lack of necessary materials. This church group sent 42,000 school kits to help better educate the girls. A seventh-grade girl recipient of the supplies replied by saying, "I want to be a very famous and kind doctor in the future, but sometimes I think this is a dream because of our economical problems, we need a pillar to lean on, and this is of course provided by the kind well-wishers of us which consists of you. We are really thankful for that" (UMCOR). A group from the Shiia Islamic branch has started Northern Pakistan Education Program. The program centers on promoting the education of the girl. By building more schools, the group hopes to make education accessible to all people in the rural areas of Pakistan. This group is following the Right to Education and the Girl Child principle that “Increased education is one of the most important tools available to empower women within the family and within society” (NGO). These two church groups are living out Jesus’ call to love and care for everyone.

The Working Group on Girls states, “Without education, girls are denied the opportunity to develop their full potential and to play a productive and equal role in their families, their societies, their country and their world” (NGO). In order to insure girls receive the right to an education work needs to be done to end the status quo of women in Pakistan. Donating money will do no good unless the mistreatment of women is addressed. All the school supplies and schoolhouses in the world will not end the way Islamic extremists and the Taliban view and mistreat women. Money should only be donated when Pakistani leaders agree to allow girls the right to an education. It is difficult to change the mindset of the Taliban because of it deep roots throughout history. This is why education is vital to teach children girls that they are as capable as boys. Schools need to focus on the primary subjects and not be influenced by personal agendas. Gender disparity needs to be eliminated so girls can reach their full potential.

Greg Mortenson is proof that one person can make a difference, especially in assuring girl children access to education. Youth in the United States can help girls in Pakistan by spreading awareness of their mistreatment to others. Many high school students are unaware of the difficulties girls face in trying to get an education. It is important to inform others of the injustices around the world. Schools need to discuss world issues pertaining to other teens around the world. Each school should be paired with a sister school in Pakistan and send letters of support and supplies. Girl students in Pakistan need to know that their pursuit of an education is admirable. In addition to schools becoming involved, individuals need to take action. With the increasing use of Internet for news, one way to spread awareness is through a support group that would discuss the rights of girls. Networks such as Facebook and Myspace can be used to inform the millions of users about Pakistani girls. A student could set up a group on either of these sites that would discuss the issues and ways to help. Current articles on the topic or upcoming fundraisers could be posted on the group’s site. Using these large sites would inform large numbers of people and hopefully spark awareness and action. It is vital the Pakistani girls know their cries for equality are being heard. Americans must not remain passive but strive to make the ideals of the Working Group on Girls become a reality.

Works Cited

General Assembly Resolution. "Article 28." Convention on the Rights of the Child. 20

Nov. 1989. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 20 Oct. 2007 <http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/k2crc.htm>.

Mortenson, Greg. "About Greg Mortenson." Three Cups of Tea. Comp. David Relin.

2007. New York Times. 20 Oct. 2007 <http://www.threecupsoftea.com >.

 "Platform for Girls." The Working Group on Girls: NGO Committee on UNICEF. May

2006. 20 Oct. 2007 <http://www.girlsrights.org >.

Sikland, Yoginder. "Qasmi." Daily Times. 7 Oct. 2005. 20 Oct. 2007

<http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_7-10-2005_pg3_6>.

"The Right to Education and the Girl Child." Working Group on Girls of the NGO

Committee on UNICEF. May 2006. 20 Oct. 2007

<http://www.girlsrights.org/girls.php>.

United Methodist News Ser. "School Kits Enhance One Great Hour of Sharing." Global

Ministries. 25 Mar. 2003. The United Methodist Church. 20 Oct. 2007

<http://gbgmumc.org/umcor/03/afghanschoolkits.stm>.

                                                                           back to top

Chelsea Burns

The State of the Girl Child: The Right to Education and the Girl Child

            In regions and countries across the globe, young girls are being denied the right to go to school for various reasons, which include the belief that their low position in society makes their manual labor a higher priority than their education.  The current conditions in which many girls are living and attempting to become educated are unacceptable and not according to the basic rights they are granted as human beings.  Despite some efforts currently being made to improve this situation, there is much that needs to be done to guarantee that rights are ensured to girls of the world.

            The current situation of education throughout many parts of the world is shocking.  One hundred and four million children ages five to twelve do not even attend school; one hundred and fifty million children leave school illiterate; and ninety four percent of children who do not attend school live in the developing world (Breitkopf ).  Low attendance in school is attributed to various factors.  The main factor is poverty; families rely on their children to help generate an income and are not able to sacrifice their children from labor or pay the costs that an education demands.  In addition, two thirds of children who drop out of school are girls, who are kept at home to run their households or marry at a young age (Breitkopf ).  However, girls who are able to receive an education are able to protect themselves against the deadly HIV/AIDS disease, marry at an older age, and have more opportunities for employment.  They also have a reduced fertility rate, their children have a lower mortality rate, and their labor earnings are increased (Girls’ Education).  Of the 860 million illiterate adults in the world today, sixty- six percent of these are female.  Improving this heartbreaking statistic means also having an impact on the end of other issues such as poverty, health problems, and violence.

            To improve this situation, many groups and organizations have taken action.  At the turn of the millennium, the United Nations Millennium Summit set up development goals which included, “[Promoting] gender equality and empower[ing] women, with the target of eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005 (This target has not been met), and in all levels of education by 2015” (Breitkopf).  The United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative, w