Promoting girls education is a priority | Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD)

The international community is moving forward with the right to education for girls as a top priority which was declared by UN officials on 16 June.

“Investing in girls’ education is not only the right thing to do, it is also the smart thing to do,” Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights was quoted saying in Geneva, Switzerland as he discussed with a panel the right to education for girls.

According to the Statistics on Women study by the UN on 174 Member States, the best indicator of "peacefulness" in a country is the well-being and education of women and girls. Almost one third of countries today significantly fall behind in gender parity in primary education and less than half as many girls as boys are in lower secondary grades. Many young women are prevented from getting an education in developing countries because these girls are expected to be married before they are 18 and give birth while they are still in their teens.

“Every State should take urgent measures to ensure that all girls can effectively and safely access education of quality, including teaching about human rights,” concluded the High Commissioner. “With an education of this nature, in line with human rights standards, future generations will be equipped to build and maintain societies based on equality and justice for all.”

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