Education 
Major donation to promote African girls' education

- Girls are all too often consigned to a life of poverty and dependence. Norway is helping lead the way in the fight against poverty and inequality - especially for girls, said UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy. "Girls' education is a UNICEF priority and Norway's gift is an infusion not only of needed funds but of moral leadership on this issue. It recognized the right of every girl to a basic, quality education."

The donation from Norway is targeted at expanding access to education, strengthening education systems, promoting advocacy and social mobilization, improving the quality of education and promoting partnerships between civil society, government ministries and the private sector. 

Of the 625 million children of grade-school age worldwide, 110 million are not attending school. Almost two-thirds of these children are girls. Obstacles to girls' education include poverty, poor quality education, gender biases, cost of education, lack of female role models and cultural traditions and practices. 

Access to schools is equally important as distant schools often place the safety of girls at risk. "As they travel to and from school, girls are vulnerable to sexual harassment and sometimes rape," the UNICEF informs. 

Gender discrimination is pervasive throughout the world. The cost of schooling - including uniforms, books and bus fares - often leads parents to only send their boys to school. This is partly due to the prevalent notion that it is only the sons who need to earn money and establish a household. In cultures where the daughters who marry become part of the husband's responsibility, the incentive to educate girls is still weaker. Also, in many countries pregnant girls and young mothers are excluded from school or forced to drop out.

Girls' education is also important within the context of the growing HIV/AIDS pandemic, because it can dramatically impact their health choices later on in life. An educated mother tends to be healthier and raise her family accordingly. Studies show that an extra year of schooling for girls reduces fertility rates by 5 to 10 per cent. Because an educated girl is likely to get married later, she reduces her risk of developing infection and dying during childbirth. Her babies are also more likely to survive the first year of life. 

UNICEF is convinced that an investment in girls' education can help eradicate poverty. Education decreases social burdens on governments, increases family incomes, raises standards of living and produces a larger and better prepared workforce. Girls' education is a clear UNICEF priority. The organization leads the UN Girl's Education Initiative - launched by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in April 2000. 

Norway is the largest per capita donor to UNICEF. It was the fourth largest government donor in 1999. It is a key contributor to UNICEF's emergency programmes, the agency states. The Government of Norway is the largest donor to UNICEF's multi-country programme on child labour. It has also announced that it will donate US$ 22 million to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI).

GAVI was formed in 1999 to co-ordinate a global network of international organizations, governments, philanthropic organizations, private sector leaders and others in re-energizing the world's commitment to vaccines and immunization. The GAVI secretariat is housed in the UNICEF offices in Geneva, Switzerland. 

Source: UNICEF

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