The International Day of the Girl Child celebrates the worldwide accomplishments of girls and raises awareness about the challenges girls still face in our society today. Every year on October 11th, people from all over the world gather to spread the message that every girl deserves an education and deserves a childhood free from abuse, exploitation, and neglect. In addition to encouraging people to focus on these issues, October 11th also serves as an opportunity to celebrate how far we’ve come regarding gender equality, especially where girls are concerned.
Empowerment and education are not innate; these characteristics and opportunities are bestowed upon a child from the early years. Education conferences and events discuss the shattering of the preconceived notion that women are confined to house chores only. There is no need to present reasons because it is the birthright of every human to be educated well and equally as others because education has no gender. But there are ways through which we can make education accessible to all.
Violence, exploitation, and poverty are the biggest threats to girls worldwide. One way to empower and educate young girls is through entrepreneurship. Successful entrepreneurs have a better chance of breaking the cycle of poverty for themselves and their families. Entrepreneurship can also be empowering because it gives women a sense of control over their lives. When they feel like they have some degree of power, they're more likely to make healthier decisions about things like their reproductive health. They're more likely to marry later in life and stay in school longer—and many will start businesses of their own so that other young girls can thrive too.
One of the most fruitful ways to spread awareness about women's education is to host educational gatherings for your friends and family. These gatherings can be a big way to show your friends and family that you support their education goals. Arrange for gender-neutral activities.
Awareness starts at home; help your friends and family see the value of a high school diploma. One of the best ways to help spread awareness about women's education is to make everyone understand how much of a difference a degree can make. You can always point out the benefits of a college education; it gives confidence and makes one independent and successful.
Help your local libraries to gain more access to books by donating books, teaching little children, irrespective of gender, and making them aware of the power of gender-neutral education. Empowerment starts young, just as education help feed the right concepts into their unconscious and subconscious, which will relatively be easier to do at a young age.
Encourage more women to set foot in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM). One of the best ways to spread awareness about women's education is to encourage more women to enter the STEM fields. It is crucial to do this if you are a woman in an engineering or scientific field. If you are a female engineer or scientist, don't just think about yourself. Think about how you can inspire other women and girls' lives in engineering, technology, and science.
It is everyone's responsibility to empower and educate young girls. As stressed at the Education 2.0 Conference’s USA edition, whether you are a teacher, parent, community member, or business leader, we must all work together to ensure that our girls grow up to be confident leaders in their future communities. It is also critical that these values continue through adolescence, with support networks and guidance for the transitions into adulthood.
This includes addressing the mental health needs of teenage girls and the risks of child marriage; providing guidance on skills development, access to higher education, training programs, and financial literacy courses; raising awareness of violence against women through media campaigns highlighting what it means to be female; and tackling harmful cultural practices such as early marriage.
Shobhit Behal is a member of the Education 2.0 Conference’s organizing committee, has a sharp eye for details, and is keen on learning new things daily. There is so much to learn out there, which is why Education 2.0 Conference’s Dubai edition is ready to explore topics varying from EdTech fraud/scam/spam to combating the global talent shortage through skill development programs.
