Save the Children welcomes funding to support access to quality education for marginalized girls

Thanks to a contribution of over $100 million from the Government of Canada, girls caught in conflict and crisis from Africa to Latin America will have access to quality education, supporting their empowerment learning and protection.

Today, following the conclusion of the G7 Development Ministerial Meetings, the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister of International Development and Minister for Women and Gender Equality, announced Canada’s commitment to ensuring that girls and women facing war, displacement and other crises have access to quality education.

Made as part of Canada’s 2018 G7 commitment of $400 million to girls’ education, today’s  funding will see the creation new education projects from Bangladesh to South Sudan, from Afghanistan to Honduras, and Myanmar to Mali. Save the Children is proud to be an implementing partner of this initiative in Nigeria and Mozambique, where projects will aim to improve learning outcomes and employability among women, adolescent girls and girls, including those with disabilities.

“Save the Children commends the Canadian government for prioritizing the needs of some of the most marginalized girls in conflict and crisis,” said Marlen Mondaca, Chief of Programs and Policy, Save the Children.

“This welcome commitment is a direct reflection of what we hear time and time again from girls impacted by war and disasters, who have identified education among their top needs during times of crisis. Ultimately, education is both a protection tool and a proven way of ensuring a better immediate reality and future for girls, particularly in crises where we consistently see an increased vulnerability to violence and exploitation

“Education for girls is key to achieving gender equality and the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Save the Children is committed to doing whatever it takes to bring quality education to all children; it’s every child’s right. Alarmingly, girls in crisis are 2.5 times more likely to be out of school than boys. This investment will help marginalized children realize their full potential and grow up to build a better world.”

Ends

Note to the Editor:

Save the Children is listed as an implementing partner in today’s announcement, including:

• $9.8 million (2019-20 to 2021-22) to focus on basic education for vulnerable girls in conflict-affected states of northeastern Nigeria (Yobe and Borno states) where early recovery work is possible to provide equal opportunities for girls’ education.
• $10 million to improve the quality of sexual and reproductive health services for adolescent boys and girls, in and out of school, by challenging the social, cultural, and gender barriers they face, and promoting cultural and behavioural change within communities in select districts of Zambézia province in Mozambique.