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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.