On Tuesday, U.S. Representatives Susan W. Brooks (R-Ind.-05), Lois Frankel (D-Fla.-21), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.-01), and Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.-17) reintroduced the Keeping Girls in School Act to support the educational empowerment of girls globally.
This bipartisan legislation brings attention to the systemic barriers preventing girls from accessing secondary education, such as child marriage, religious or ethnic discrimination, female genital mutilation and poor safety traveling to schools. A companion bill is being introduced by Senators Lisa Murkowksi (R-Alaska) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.).
Brooks
“When girls stay in school their communities are healthier, safer, and more prosperous. In order to cultivate a thriving future for our world, girls’ education and development must be a top priority,” said Brooks. “When we stand up for women and girls, we help empower them to raise their voices, grasp opportunities and reach new heights. I am proud the Keeping Girls in School Act works to support the economic and educational empowerment of girls around the world while breaking down the barriers that keep girls out of the classroom.”
“If you limit a girl’s access to education, you limit her in every area of her life,” said Jaha Dukureh, founder of Safe Hands for Girls and Africa’s Regional Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women. “We have a collective responsibility to break down every barrier girls face, so that they can enjoy their right to an education and realize their full potential.”
“I’m proud to support the Keeping Girls in School Act and thank the co-sponsors for introducing this bill today,” said Rachel Brosnahan, Actor and Global Citizen Ambassador. “I truly believe in the power of education to change the world, especially for girls and children affected by crisis, and I’m working with Global Citizen to ask our leaders to increase support and funding for education this year. This bill is a great step forward to commit U.S. support for programs and policies and resources that make sure adolescent girls don’t just access but stay in school. I look forward to continuing to work with Members of Congress and USAID to help overcome barriers for everyone to get a quality education and I encourage all members to support the passage of this bill.”
Background
Adolescent girls who remain in school are more likely to live longer, marry later and earn an income to support their families, thus helping the economic prosperity of their communities and nations. However, today over 130 million girls worldwide are not in school. While the U.S. has been the global leader in efforts to expand and improve educational opportunities, particularly for girls, there is still more work to be done to ensure access to quality education and expand girls’ economic futures.
The Keeping Girls in School Act focuses on closing the gender gap for adolescent girls and keeping them in school at the secondary level, a time when girls are most at risk of dropping out of school due to forced marriage, pregnancy and other family pressures. The economic benefits of girls’ education are substantial and can help lift households, communities and nations out of poverty. Keeping girls in secondary school could*:
- Add $92 billion to the economies of low- and middle-income nations;
- Cut child deaths by 50 percent;
- Reduce child marriage by 66 percent;
- Decrease violent conflict by 37 percent; and
- Increase girls’ future wages by up to 20 percent for every year enrolled.
Specifically, the Keeping Girls in School Act:
- Outlines and highlights a non-exhaustive list of 14 barriers that girls face in entering and remaining in secondary education institutions.
- Authorizes a budget neutral funding mechanism where USAID is directed to enter into results-based financing and/or traditional grant project proposals to reduce these barriers adolescent girls face. These proposals will utilize public-private partnerships, development impact bonds, and other innovative financing mechanisms to leverage real results with measurable outcomes.
- Requires that the U.S. Global Strategy to Empower Adolescent Girls be reviewed and updated every five years.
Full text of the legislation can be found here. Additionally, dozens of civil, human and women’s rights organizations have endorsed the Keeping Girls in School Act. The list can be found here.
* Statistics are according to UNESCO, the Education Policy and Data Center, CARE, the Global Partnership for Education, and the World Bank.