The Power and Promise of Girls' Education - Save the Children

The lack of access to education and basic services, as
well as the emotional trauma of disasters, takes an
enormous toll on all children.
Experts have noted that girls dropping out of school is
often one of the first indicators of stress or instability
in a community. As families struggle to survive, girls are
pulled from school to support the family. Insecurity can
also reduce access to education, as schools may become
targets for recruitment and abduction, or girls may be
attacked along the path to school. Due to worries of
security, the proportion of girls not attending school
during a period of conflict tends to be much higher than
the proportion of boys out of school. Moreover, rape is
an increasingly common weapon of war in many parts of
New Global Challenge:
Educating Children in Crisis
Save the Children has launched a new global challenge
initiative to provide educational opportunities for millions
of girls and boys whose schooling has been interrupted by
crises, including war, conflict and natural disasters.
As a starting point, Save the Children is focusing on eight
countries that have experienced recent disasters or conflicts
and aims to ensure education for 3 million children
currently out of school in affected areas. The first priority
countries are Afghanistan,Angola, Democratic Republic of
the Congo, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Uganda.
Through this effort, Save the Children hopes to mobilize the
international community to provide a range of education
activities for millions more girls and boys. It seeks to
establish education as a recognized means for protecting
children against potential abuse and harm, while also
offering children the opportunity to create a better
future for themselves.
In Indonesia and Sri Lanka, where thousands of children,
including many girls, still have not returned to school
following the devastating tsunami of December 26, 2004,
Save the Children is working closely with government
officials to increase school enrollment at the start of the
next semester later in 2005, and to provide informal
education opportunities for children who cannot attend
school.
the world. A high proportion of girls become mothers
at a dangerously early age, and these girls often cannot
attend school because of lack of child care, community
stigma and the belief that once a girl has children she
is an adult and therefore beyond the age of needing
education.
Formal and informal educational opportunities for girls
caught in crisis situations help both to prevent some of
these tragic consequences and to heal those who have
suffered. Preschools and schools can be safe places
where girls and boys are out of harm’s way and
accounted for. Classes provide a sense of normalcy,
routine and hope for the future that is critical to
emotional well-being. Well-designed educational
programs also introduce new survival skills – for
example, children may be taught how to avoid land
mines, protect themselves against sexual abuse, deal with
anger or resolve interpersonal conflicts.
Keeping girls in school helps set the stage for quicker
recovery once a crisis has passed. And by equipping the
next generation of mothers with the knowledge and
skills to raise healthy, well-educated children, it can help
prevent the recurrence of violence and chaos.
There is also evidence that educated women play a vital
role in helping to save lives and rebuild communities
after natural disaster has struck. Where girls are
educated, mothers are more likely to take the complex
health measures required to protect their families’
well-being. Monetary savings levels are likely to be
higher, which gives families more resources to recover.
And communities where women are educated are also
more likely to have civil society groups to help the most
vulnerable reclaim their lives. 41
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THE POWER AND PROMISE OF GIRLS’ EDUCATION