From BeadforLife.org) The United Nations has established October 11 as International Day of the Girl to advance the UN Millennium Development Goals. Their mission, which BeadforLife stands behind, is “to help galvanize worldwide enthusiasm for goals to better girls’ lives, providing an opportunity for them to show leadership and reach their full potential.” We caught up with Joy Gardner, who works at the organization 10×10.org and asked her to write a guest blog about their upcoming global campaign to educate girls. It launches tomorrow, on International Day of the Girl.
“Around the world, girls face barriers to education that boys do not. Tradition, work, and cultural practices like early marriage prevent millions of girls from attending school. Yet when you educate girls, truly extraordinary things can happen. Research shows that when girls have access to quality education, GDP (gross domestic product) rises, early marriage decreases, population growth stabilizes, agricultural output grows, and health outcomes improve. In fact, you can break the cycle of poverty in just one generation, which is truly something to get excited about! Currently, 77.6 million girls are not in school, which is why the United Nations recently designated October 11th as a day of advocacy for girls’ rights around the world. This Thursday, on the first-ever International Day of the Girl, 10×10 will launch a global campaign to educate and empower girls. Using storytelling and our new feature film, Girl Rising, we’re spreading the message that investing in girls —equally to boys —benefits everyone. We’re reaching out to a global audience, engaging a grassroots community, and inspiring individuals to take action for girls. |
Organizations like BeadforLife and their recently successful 100 DREAMS campaign to send 100 Ugandan girls to school, will ignite a change in the lives of girls that can have an exponential effect. Each of us has the ability to make a HUGE impact in not only the life of an individual girl, but in her community, her country, and the world! Raising a collective voice can lead to a positive change. So stand up! Learn about the power of girls’ education – spread the word, share their stories, TAKE ACTION! Together we can write a better future for girls and change the world.” – Joy Gardner
Rio Texas Methodist Federation for Social Action 
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