Why am I stepping UP?  

When girls don’t receive an education, it’s not just girls who lose out. Evidence shows that educating girls leads to a wide range of benefits not only for the young women themselves but also for their families, communities and society.

• Educated women help their country’s economy: When 10% more girls go to school, a country’s GDP increases, on average, by 3%.
• Educated women earn more: Providing girls with one extra year of education beyond average boosts her wages by 10-20%.
• Educated women are healthier: An extra year of girls’ education can reduce infant mortality by 5-10% and can reduce the spread of illness and disease.

Also, increased time at home may result in increased levels of domestic violence and girls may face additional pressure to drop out of school which can lead to early and unwanted pregnancies and forced child marriage. We must support girls and protect their right to learn. Only through education can they build the skills and resources they need to best respond to crises like the one we are currently in and others they might face in the future.