In 2011, the U.N. designated October 11 to be International Day of the Girl, which is a day dedicated to recognizing the achievements of girls around the world in order to empower girls to fight against gender inequality.

Specifically, girls’ education is a large issue in developing countries because a large number of girls do not have access to education in areas of  low socioeconomic status. According to the Malala Fund, more than 130 million girls around the world have not received a proper education. If girls do not have access to education, then it is seemingly impossible for them to achieve career opportunities and increased health outcomes. Furthermore, it is not extremely difficult to help girls’ education around the world.

There are many organizations that are dedicated to helping girls in developing countries access the sort of education that is vital in order to take the first steps towards gender equality. Here is a list of just a few organizations that may be used in order to help girls’ education around the world.

1. Save the Children

Save the Children is an organization dedicated to helping disadvantaged children around the world overcome many difficult obstacles, and now, Save the Children has launched the #ShesWorthMore campaign. Save the Children states, “discrimination against girls starts at birth,” which is an important concept to comprehend in order to truly help girls’ education. Gender roles affect girls throughout their entire lives, and gender often determines whether or not one has access to education; for example, according to Save the Children, girls are approximately three times more likely than boys to not have access to education. The #ShesWorthMore campaign allows people to donate, start a fundraiser or sponsor a child.

2. Malala Fund
The Malala Fund is another example of an exceptional organization that is dedicated to advancing girls’ education around the world. This organization is unique because it was founded in the name of Malala Yousafzai. Malala is a young Pakistani woman who was attacked while she was famously defending girls’ education against the Taliban. Malala’s story has influenced many organizations to take action in order to increase access to education for girls in areas plagued by war and conflict. The Malala Fund encourages people to donate or start their own fundraiser to raise money for this cause.

3. Let Girls Learn
In 2015, former First Lady of the U.S., Michelle Obama, created Let Girls Learn – a U.S. government agency that helps girls around the world obtain access to proper education. The Let Girls Learn initiative further addresses the countless barriers that block the path for girls to obtain education in developing countries such as child marriage, violence, war and conflict. Volunteers with the Peace Corps can work on various projects in developing countries which allow girls to access proper education. Furthermore, people may donate to the Let Girls Learn initiative and raise awareness on various social media platforms using the hashtag #LetGirlsLearn.

All in all, there are many organizations that are available for people to donate to, fundraise for or volunteer with. Save the Children, the Malala Fund, and Let Girls Learn are just a few organizations that people may support on International Day of the Girl. However, girls’ education deserves prolonged support in order to close disparity gaps in education and gender equality around the world.

– Emily Santora

Photo: Flickr