Projects supported by Girl Alert
Why girls should go to school
Reducing women’s fertility rates.
Women with formal education are much more likely to use reliable family planning methods, delay marriage and childbearing, and have fewer and healthier babies than women with no formal education. It is estimated that one year of female schooling reduces fertility by 10 percent. This outcome is particularly noticeable for secondary schooling.
Lowering infant and child mortality rates.
Women with some formal education are more likely to seek medical care, ensure their children are immunized, are better informed about their children’s nutritional requirements, and adopt improved sanitation practices. As a result, their infants and children have higher survival rates and tend to be healthier and better nourished.
Lowering maternal mortality rates.
Women with formal education tend to have better knowledge about health care practices, are less likely to become pregnant at a very young age, tend to have fewer, better-spaced pregnancies, and seek pre- and post-natal care. It is estimated that an additional year of schooling for 1,000 women helps prevent two maternal deaths.
Protecting against HIV/AIDS infection.
Girls’ education ranks among the most powerful tools for reducing girls’ vulnerability. It slows and reduces the spread of HIV/AIDS by contributing to female economic independence, delayed marriage, family planning, and work outside the home, as well as conveying greater information about the disease and how to prevent it.
Increasing women’s labor force participation rates and earnings.
Education has been proven to increase income for wage earners and increase productivity for employers, yielding benefits for the community and society.
Creating intergenerational education benefits.
Mothers’ education is a significant variable affecting children’s education attainment and opportunities. A mother with a few years of formal education is considerably more likely to send her children to school. In many countries each additional year of formal education completed by a mother translates into her children remaining in school for an additional one-third to one-half year.
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A primary school in Arusha, Tanzania
Details about the primary school in Arusha, Tanzania
A primary school in Chipata, Zambia
Details about a primary school in Chipata, Zambia
A primary school in Kesnand Village Pune, India
Details about the primary school in Pune, India
A primary school in Koutiala, Mali
Details about a primary school in Koutiala, Mali
A primary school in Chennai, India
Details about a primary school in Chennai, India
A primary school in Kharva, India
Details about the primary school in Kharva Pune, India
A primary school in Pune (slums), India
Details about the primary school in the slums of Pune, India
A primary school in Kharadi Pune, India
Details about the primary school in Kharadi Pune, India