Girls' Education matters to guarantee their inclusion

Male and female learners' learning requirements should be met in the teaching and learning processes (inside and outside of the classroom) regardless matter whether they are male, female, or have a disability. In the future, teaching staff should be gender-aware and gender-responsive in their course development and facilitation.

According to UNICEF, "129 million girls are out of school worldwide, with 32 million in elementary school and 97 million in secondary school".

“To ensure gender equality, education systems must act explicitly to eliminate gender bias and discrimination… Governments and partners need to put in place gender-sensitive policies, planning and learning environments…” Education 2030, Incheon (South Korea) Declaration and Framework for Action

Education is not free for everyone, and in many areas of the world, females are the first to be denied it. Every youngster has the right to a good education in a safe setting, as well as a life as an independent adult. It is undoubtedly that women with access to education can achieve incredible things, such as start climate-smart businesses, work in health care, run schools, and lead governments, making the world a better place for everyone.

WHY does Girls’ Education matter?

• It?is the foundation for gender equity and?social justice
• ?Lowering maternal and infant mortality, malnutrition, stunting, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other issues leads to healthier communities and nations.
• Reduces child marriage and gender-based violence
• Unlocks?women’s leadership?for policy change?that benefits everyone
• ?Drives?economic development, leading to higher productivity and income, tackling youth unemployment and instability

When we invest in females' education:

1. Girls' lifetime earnings increase significantly.
2. The pace of national growth is growing.
3. Child marriage is becoming less common.
4. Child mortality is decreasing.
5. Maternal mortality rates are falling.
6. Child stunting is decreasing.

Barriers to inclusion of girls’ education

1. Poverty: Girls are the first to drop out when their families lack finances for food, transportation, school fees, uniforms, and needs such as sanitary pads. They are the first to be let down by the system, and they are vulnerable to the risks of early marriage, early pregnancy, and abuse. Their boundless potential is lost without the chance to determine their own fate. When it comes to schooling, poor households frequently favor boys. Because parents and society, in general, value girls’ education less than education for boys.
2. Some schools fail to address female students' safety, hygiene, and sanitation needs.
3. Others do not employ gender-responsive teaching strategies.
4. ?A lack of facilities at school for young mothers and pregnant girls and sometimes school leaders or school owners not allowing pregnant girls and/or young mothers to attend school toting stigma from other students and teachers, as well as family shame, can prevent girls from going back to school or lead to them dropping out.
5. Girls and boys with special educational needs or disabilities can face a double disadvantage. Girls with special educational needs or disabilities may face challenges in accessing sanitary toilets during menstruation. Both girls and boys with disabilities might not be able to meet the expectations of what girls and boys are supposed to do and behave. For example, girls with disabilities may not be able to sweep, and boys with disabilities may not be included in football games with other boys.
6. Girls are more likely to face gender-based violence. Because in many societies men are expected and allowed to be more aggressive and dominant and women are expected to be submissive and reliant on men as providers.

Girls are frequently excluded from school, and this is done consciously or unknowingly by many people. Pregnant girls are excluded, young moms are excluded, and many people from different nations tend to devalue girls’ education toting gender stereotyping by teachers and pupils.

Making certain that all girls and young women get a quality education is their human right. Knowing that girls' education extends beyond simply enrolling them in school. It is also about ensuring that girls learn and feel safe in school; that they have the opportunity to complete all levels of education, acquire the knowledge and skills needed to compete in the labor market; they gain the socio-emotional and life skills needed to navigate and adapt to a changing world; that they make decisions about their own lives; and that they contribute to their communities and the world.

Then we should:

• Use gender-neutral and inclusive language. E.g., always use non-gender specific terms when referring to occupations, e.g., chairperson, flight attendant.
• Avoid stereotyping colleagues, even when icebreaking.
• Sitting arrangements are equitably designed for men/women, boys, girls and people with disabilities.
• Tasks and activities are not divided based on sex or according to gender stereotypes.
• A lack of facilities can also be a hindrance to girls' effective inclusion. The lack of a ladies' room for girls to manage their menstruation might result in inconsistent attendance, which can affect their learning and lead to dropping out. As a result, there is a rationale for building a girls' room at school. Because pregnant women and young moms can utilize the girls' room to rest and milk their infants. These girls' rooms should be arranged in such a way that girls with disabilities may use them securely.
• ?When you hear people say things that support negative gender expectations, take advantage of the chance to discuss how that gender expectation has harmful consequences.
• Ensure that the children in your classes have access to photographs and other instructional resources that demonstrate both females and males performing tasks that are commonly associated with either females or males through class displays and other materials.
• Encourage boys and girls to participate in activities they like, regardless of whether they are typically performed by ladies or guys.
• Tell boys and girls that they have the capability to succeed in all aspects of the curriculum
• Invite men and women into the classroom whose jobs and interests do not fit gender preconceptions, such as a female engineer or a male nurse, to chat with the children.
• Encourage boys and girls to consider objectives that may contradict prevailing gender norms.
• Take appropriate action if you observe any sexual aggression or sexual harassment in the school
• Advocate girls' education in your community.

The schools’ planning will become gender-responsive when they consider the impact of activities on boys/men and girls/women and includes strategies to ensure that the positive benefits help to support the specific needs of these groups. Educational Monitoring will become gender-responsive when considering gender in the information being collected. Educational Evaluation will be gender-responsive when it will be designed to reveal whether there is a positive, negative, or neutral impact on boys/men and girls/women.