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Joanne Pan

GES330

Dr. Bennett

November 21, 2015

Writing Prompt

At the beginning of the semester, we discussed the Millennium Development goals. One of the

main points of the Millennium Development goals was equal opportunities for education for both boys

and girls. In developing countries, girls were less likely than boys to be educated, and we discussed in

class that women and girls aren’t the problem, but rather the solution. One student presenter talked

about Barefoot College, my presentation on Room to Read’s Girls’ Literacy program, and Ruth Levine’s

article “Educating Girls, Unlocking Development.”

According to UNESCO, there are 493 million women who are illiterate. Barefoot College is a non-

governmental organization that focuses on training women, specifically mothers and grandmothers, to

help their communities because they are more likely to stay close to the villages and communities in

Africa and India. One aspect they focus on is using renewable energy. On their website for solar

solutions they write “harnessed solar energy not only to provide light but also to create employment for

the unemployable, to boost income for the poor, to save the environment by reducing carbon emission

and not cutting trees, and most importantly, to provide self-reliant solutions within village communities”

(Barefoot College, Solar Solutions). By teaching illiterate women a skilled trade, the women can find

employment and have secure jobs, and have decent working conditions and good pay. Girls also benefit

from education, and Room to Read’s Girls Literacy program has works with parents, governments, and

community leaders to ensure that all girls get an education.

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According to UNESCO, 31 million girls were out of school in 2013, and 55% are never expected

to enroll. Room to Read is a non-governmental organization that focuses on education in Southeast Asia

and Africa, with an emphasis on girls’ education in the countries where they work. Their motto for girls’

education is “When you educate a girl, everything changes” (Roomtoread.org). Poverty is major barrier

to education, especially among older girls, because they are expected to do much of the domestic work

and find jobs for income to help their families out, which leaves less time for school. Part of the program

is the Educating young girls allows them to be healthier, wealthier, be a part of the labor force, make

better life choices, reduces the chances of child marriages and early birth, and are more likely to seek

support from skilled birth attendants when pregnant. Levine’s article argues that governments can help.

Ruth Levine’s article “Educating Girls, Unlocking Development” argues that girls’ education is an

important goal, and can be helped through government actions. Levine argues that “the benefits of

educating a girl are manifested in economic and social outcomes: her lifetime health, labor force

participation, and income; her (future) children’s health and nutrition; her community’s and her nation’s

productivity. Most important, education can break the intergenerational transmission of poverty”

(Levine, Ruth. “Educating Girls, Unlocking Development.”) Levine recites studies done that emphasize

how girls’ education helps bring the demographic transition forward for developing countries. When we

looked at China and its pathway to development, Foxconn originally had more female workers than

male. However, as more and more women are becoming educated, their workforce is becoming

increasingly male. According to James Fallows’ article “China Makes, The World Takes”, women “learn

new jobs faster, handle high-precision work better, and pose fewer disciplinary challenges” (Fallows,

James. China Makes, The World Takes. The Atlantic.)

Less than 15% of girls that start primary school get to the end in some areas, because many drop

out before fifth grade. While Barefoot College and Room to Read to help with the problem of girls’

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education in developing countries, problems today include completion of primary school, education

opportunities where the most disadvantaged groups have few chances to go to school. By investing in

education, governments of developing countries can transition more smoothly and quickly into the next

stage of development.

Bibliography

Barefoot College. 2015. Barefoot College.org. N.d. Web. 26 November 2015.

Fallows, James. “China Makes, The World Takes.” The Atlantic. July/August 2007. Print.

Levine, Ruth. “Educating Girls, Unlocking Development.” 19 November 2015. Print. 26 November 2015.

Room to Read. 2015. Room to Read.org. N.d. Web. 26 November 2015.