For girls living in poverty, every stage of life can be a struggle as they don’t enjoy the same education, choices and opportunities as boys. No one bears the burden of poverty more than girls.
Birth: dying from preventable diseases
In many communities, girls lack access to food and medical care because they are valued less than boys. This means that globally, girls are more likely to die before their fifth birthday.
Childhood: denied an education
75 million girls are currently out of education around the world. That’s more than the entire population of the UK. Poverty forces many families to choose which of their children to send to school. Girls miss out on education due to a mistaken belief it’s of less value. Instead, they are sent to work or made to stay at home to look after siblings and work on household chores.
Teens: at risk of violence
When girls reach puberty, many will face an increased threat of abuse and violence, including sexual harassment, incest and female genital mutilation. This can result in both physical and mental trauma, loss of self-esteem and leave them vulnerable to HIV and death in pregnancy and childbirth. Pregnancy and childbirth are the leading causes of death for girls aged 15-19 in the world’s poorest countries.
Early and forced marriage
For many girls, reaching puberty can be the first step towards a forced marriage. They will be taken out of school, isolated from their friends and forced into marriage and motherhood when they are still children themselves. Every year, 10 million girls are married either too young or against their will. Some are as young as five years old.
Why is this happening?
Poverty, discrimination, lack of education and government decisions all play a role in keeping girls locked in a cycle of poverty.
What we do
There are solutions. Plan works with girls to give them the opportunity to shape their own lives. Our ‘Because I am a Girl’ campaign aims to remove the barriers that prevent girls from getting a quality education and achieving their rights and aspirations. With an education, a girl can transform her world and the world around her. Join the plan to help girls to build themselves and their children a better future.
Join the Plan today