8 Facts About The Girl Child Education That Shows The World Has A Long Way To Go

Nearly half the world’s population is female.
And a large number of the world’s females are children. Every October 11th, the world celebrates the day of the Girl Child. There are many issues affecting the girl child from female genital mutilation (FGM) to underage marriage and a bunch of other issues. In many societies, female children are often less educated and may not be given the opportunity to attend school at all. Here are facts about girl child education worldwide that shows how much further the world has to go when it comes to eradicating poverty and educating female children:

1. World wide stats
There are 65 million girls who do not attend school worldwide.

2. Sub-Saharan Africa
Two in three out-of-school girls will see the four walls of a school in Sub-Saharan Africa.

3. World stats
The world has roughly 31 million girls of primary school age are out of school. More than half of this number will never enroll in a school.

4. Maternal Mortality
If every woman in Sub Saharan Africa completed their primary school education, maternal mortality will fall by 70%.

5. Child Marriage
If every girl in Sub-Saharan Africa completed their secondary school education, child marriages will fall by 64%.

6. Infant mortality
A child born to a mother who can read is 50% more likely to survive past the age of 5 than one born to a mother who can’t read

7. Illiteracy
Of the world’s 774 million illiterate adults, women make up almost two-thirds of that figure. It is estimated that there are 493 million illiterate adult women.

8. Secondary School Education
Educating the girl child is the most effective way to combat child marriages. Girls who remained in secondary school are 6 times less likely to get married early.

As you can see, the world has a long way to go in educating the girl child. Educating the girl child reduces early marriages, infant and maternal mortality!