Photo credit: Christine Redmond

Geneva, 08 October 2020 - Aide et Action, an international association for development through education, reacts to the current condition of girls in the world: due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a leap backwards, sometimes of 10 years or more, is observed in the figures of international organizations concerning them. Aide et Action calls on all donor countries to keep their commitments to ensure that all girls have access to 12 years of free education, as stipulated in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) n°4, without any discrimination.

While the state of a society is also measured by the condition of girls and women, the current global figures for them are alarming. Indeed, for more than 6 months, many have stopped reading, learning and working and many of them are also subjected to more violence: physical aggression, harassment, rape, sexual exploitation.... The United Nations estimates that the pandemic will clearly halt efforts to combat female genital mutilation and that 2 million more girls will fall victim to it over the next ten years.

UNESCO estimates that 11 million girls will not return to school because of the economic crisis and the reluctance of parents to pay school fees, uniforms and materials. On the other handIn addition, girls are more likely to be put to work, given additional domestic tasks, or even forced into marriage.

2020 should have been a year of celebration for the girls, the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for ActionIn 1995, with as many as 17,000 participants and 30,000 activists, the Beijing Conference ended with a vision - of a world where every girl and woman could exercise her freedoms and choices, and know and be empowered. In 1995, with as many as 17,000 participants and 30,000 activists, the Beijing Conference ended with a vision - of a world where every girl and woman could exercise her freedoms and choices, and know and understand all her rights - and an agreement among 189 states to achieve gender equality and empowerment for girls and women everywhere. Unfortunately, we are still a long way from achieving this (see key figures in annex).

"For 40 years, Aide et Action has been conducting projects in favor of girls' and women's education. In the current crisis context and in the framework of our new strategic directions for the next 10 yearsWe have decided to focus our action on the most vulnerable and marginalised populations, and in particular on girls and women, to whom we will pay special attention. insists Vanessa Martin, Head of Advocacy at Aide et Action.

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About Aide et Action 

Founded in 1981, Aide et Action, an association for development through education, ensures access to quality education for the most vulnerable and marginalized populations, especially children, girls and women, so that all can master their own development and contribute to a more peaceful and sustainable world. We promote lifelong learning because access to quality education helps to fight poverty and disease, limit climate change and build peace in a sustainable world. We focus on early childhood care and education, access to and quality of education at primary and secondary levels, as well as vocational training and social inclusion. Based on the values of dignity, inclusion and integrity, as well as on the principles of transparency, accountability and solidarity, and thanks to the support of our 51,000 donors, we are currently running 83 projects in Africa and Asia for more than 1.9 million children, youth and adults. www.aide-et-action.ch

Press contact: Shukri AHMED
[email protected]
+ 41 22 716 52 10