Investing in a girl’s education is a good idea. Not only does such an investment increase her skills and confidence, it also gives her more autonomy over her decisions about marriage and children. Educating a girl also means that when she does marry, there is less likelihood that she will be the victim of gender-based violence, as well as greater likelihood that household economy and health will improve, resulting in reduced morbidity and mortality.
Although several governments in Asia and in Africa have made affirmative action policies that strive for proper representation of women in various organs of government, challenges persist. In many countries, women are still restricted from owning or accessing basic production resources, like land or capital. They are kept out of schools and prevented from becoming leaders in their communities and other institutions. IIRR fights against these medieval concepts.
Over the past years, IIRR has made significant progress in girls’ education and functional adult literacy for young women, especially in pastoralist and marginalized communities.
For youth (both boys and girls), IIRR seeks strategic interventions that tie education and economic development and link youths to technology, markets and job opportunities. Making sure that children across the world can enjoy independent and safe lives is a key part of our new strategy for ensuring broader human rights, entrepreneurship development, and wealth creation.