Partner News

The sheer tenacity of women raising their voices and organising for fundamental change has been, and will continue to be, the driving force for achieving women’s rights and a gender-equal world. Yet we cannot ignore the fundamental role that governments can play in either promoting or thwarting change.

That is why the four of us accepted French president Emmanuel Macron’s invitation to join 32 colleagues to form a G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council. On Sunday, we will present the culmination of our work; a package of recommended laws focused on ending gender-based violence; ensuring inclusive, equitable, and quality health and education; promoting the economic empowerment of women; and combating discrimination, ensuring full gender equality in policies and public life. In each area we point to laws from around the world that illustrate the type of action countries should take.

Click here to read the full article published by The Guardian on 22 August 2019.

The sheer tenacity of women raising their voices and organising for fundamental change has been, and will continue to be, the driving force for achieving women’s rights and a gender-equal world. Yet we cannot ignore the fundamental role that governments can play in either promoting or thwarting change.

That is why the four of us accepted French president Emmanuel Macron’s invitation to join 32 colleagues to form a G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council. On Sunday, we will present the culmination of our work; a package of recommended laws focused on ending gender-based violence; ensuring inclusive, equitable, and quality health and education; promoting the economic empowerment of women; and combating discrimination, ensuring full gender equality in policies and public life. In each area we point to laws from around the world that illustrate the type of action countries should take.

Click here to read the full article published by The Guardian on 22 August 2019.

The sheer tenacity of women raising their voices and organising for fundamental change has been, and will continue to be, the driving force for achieving women’s rights and a gender-equal world. Yet we cannot ignore the fundamental role that governments can play in either promoting or thwarting change.

That is why the four of us accepted French president Emmanuel Macron’s invitation to join 32 colleagues to form a G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council. On Sunday, we will present the culmination of our work; a package of recommended laws focused on ending gender-based violence; ensuring inclusive, equitable, and quality health and education; promoting the economic empowerment of women; and combating discrimination, ensuring full gender equality in policies and public life. In each area we point to laws from around the world that illustrate the type of action countries should take.

Click here to read the full article published by The Guardian on 22 August 2019.

The sheer tenacity of women raising their voices and organising for fundamental change has been, and will continue to be, the driving force for achieving women’s rights and a gender-equal world. Yet we cannot ignore the fundamental role that governments can play in either promoting or thwarting change.

That is why the four of us accepted French president Emmanuel Macron’s invitation to join 32 colleagues to form a G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council. On Sunday, we will present the culmination of our work; a package of recommended laws focused on ending gender-based violence; ensuring inclusive, equitable, and quality health and education; promoting the economic empowerment of women; and combating discrimination, ensuring full gender equality in policies and public life. In each area we point to laws from around the world that illustrate the type of action countries should take.

Click here to read the full article published by The Guardian on 22 August 2019.

The sheer tenacity of women raising their voices and organising for fundamental change has been, and will continue to be, the driving force for achieving women’s rights and a gender-equal world. Yet we cannot ignore the fundamental role that governments can play in either promoting or thwarting change.

That is why the four of us accepted French president Emmanuel Macron’s invitation to join 32 colleagues to form a G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council. On Sunday, we will present the culmination of our work; a package of recommended laws focused on ending gender-based violence; ensuring inclusive, equitable, and quality health and education; promoting the economic empowerment of women; and combating discrimination, ensuring full gender equality in policies and public life. In each area we point to laws from around the world that illustrate the type of action countries should take.

Click here to read the full article published by The Guardian on 22 August 2019.

The sheer tenacity of women raising their voices and organising for fundamental change has been, and will continue to be, the driving force for achieving women’s rights and a gender-equal world. Yet we cannot ignore the fundamental role that governments can play in either promoting or thwarting change.

That is why the four of us accepted French president Emmanuel Macron’s invitation to join 32 colleagues to form a G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council. On Sunday, we will present the culmination of our work; a package of recommended laws focused on ending gender-based violence; ensuring inclusive, equitable, and quality health and education; promoting the economic empowerment of women; and combating discrimination, ensuring full gender equality in policies and public life. In each area we point to laws from around the world that illustrate the type of action countries should take.

Click here to read the full article published by The Guardian on 22 August 2019.

The sheer tenacity of women raising their voices and organising for fundamental change has been, and will continue to be, the driving force for achieving women’s rights and a gender-equal world. Yet we cannot ignore the fundamental role that governments can play in either promoting or thwarting change.

That is why the four of us accepted French president Emmanuel Macron’s invitation to join 32 colleagues to form a G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council. On Sunday, we will present the culmination of our work; a package of recommended laws focused on ending gender-based violence; ensuring inclusive, equitable, and quality health and education; promoting the economic empowerment of women; and combating discrimination, ensuring full gender equality in policies and public life. In each area we point to laws from around the world that illustrate the type of action countries should take.

Click here to read the full article published by The Guardian on 22 August 2019.

Viewpoint by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

The writer is UN Women Executive Director. She issued this statement for International Youth Day, 2019.

NEW YORK (IDN) – Sixteen-year old Gambian Jakomba Jabbie wants to be an aerospace engineer. A vocal advocate for girls’ education, she created a robotics team at school to show that girls can also participate in the area of technology, and “to make it a space for all of us”. She knows how important education is, especially to a girl.

She told us, “It allows you to develop confidence in yourself, showcase your talents, and speak up for your rights”. And she pointed out the crucial role of teachers, whose support can help girls take science and mathematics classes even if they are nervous whether their families would approve. “Girls need to be told they can be anything they want to be”, she told us in March this year.

At UN Women, we see girls’ education as an opportunity that offers many potential gains with no drawbacks. Yet, around the world, girls continue to be left behind in education because of household duties like caring for siblings while their mother works, or even having to take responsibility for their own household as child brides.

Cultural barriers like bias against girls amongst educators or physical limitations like inadequate sanitation facilities can disastrously affect their access to schoolrooms and safety during the school day. These effects can be compounded for young women and girls living with disabilities, or those in indigenous communities, refugee camps or other situations of vulnerability.

In conflict contexts, girls are more than twice as likely to be out of school than their counterparts in non-conflict countries, resulting in generations of lost potential and opportunity.

For young women and girls especially, as Jakomba knows, a quality education can enable them to claim their rights, to stand up against discrimination and violence and to develop the skills that lead them to financial autonomy. Comprehensive sexuality education is crucial for girls’ ability to understand their bodies and make decisions about their health care, including their sexual and reproductive health.

According to a recent report from The World Bank, achieving universal secondary education would virtually eliminate child marriage and reduce the prevalence of early childbearing by up to three quarters.

Truly transforming education means making learning accessible to all young people, regardless of their access to a physical classroom and better integrating technology into education, including through the use of mobile devices, so that girls can connect to educational materials wherever they are.

We also need to overturn the deeply rooted stereotypes and social norms that see girls as less deserving of an education, or that keep them from learning the critical STEM and ICT skills needed to excel in the jobs of the future.

Education helps young women and girls become fully engaged citizens. We need this more than ever. We are counting on young people to disrupt the status quo and to push for transformative policies that shape the future they envision, as young leaders, allies and advocates for gender equality. By educating and working alongside the next generation, we can support a more inclusive, sustainable and equal future for all people.

Source: InDepthNews.

Viewpoint by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

The writer is UN Women Executive Director. She issued this statement for International Youth Day, 2019.

NEW YORK (IDN) – Sixteen-year old Gambian Jakomba Jabbie wants to be an aerospace engineer. A vocal advocate for girls’ education, she created a robotics team at school to show that girls can also participate in the area of technology, and “to make it a space for all of us”. She knows how important education is, especially to a girl.

She told us, “It allows you to develop confidence in yourself, showcase your talents, and speak up for your rights”. And she pointed out the crucial role of teachers, whose support can help girls take science and mathematics classes even if they are nervous whether their families would approve. “Girls need to be told they can be anything they want to be”, she told us in March this year.

At UN Women, we see girls’ education as an opportunity that offers many potential gains with no drawbacks. Yet, around the world, girls continue to be left behind in education because of household duties like caring for siblings while their mother works, or even having to take responsibility for their own household as child brides.

Cultural barriers like bias against girls amongst educators or physical limitations like inadequate sanitation facilities can disastrously affect their access to schoolrooms and safety during the school day. These effects can be compounded for young women and girls living with disabilities, or those in indigenous communities, refugee camps or other situations of vulnerability.

In conflict contexts, girls are more than twice as likely to be out of school than their counterparts in non-conflict countries, resulting in generations of lost potential and opportunity.

For young women and girls especially, as Jakomba knows, a quality education can enable them to claim their rights, to stand up against discrimination and violence and to develop the skills that lead them to financial autonomy. Comprehensive sexuality education is crucial for girls’ ability to understand their bodies and make decisions about their health care, including their sexual and reproductive health.

According to a recent report from The World Bank, achieving universal secondary education would virtually eliminate child marriage and reduce the prevalence of early childbearing by up to three quarters.

Truly transforming education means making learning accessible to all young people, regardless of their access to a physical classroom and better integrating technology into education, including through the use of mobile devices, so that girls can connect to educational materials wherever they are.

We also need to overturn the deeply rooted stereotypes and social norms that see girls as less deserving of an education, or that keep them from learning the critical STEM and ICT skills needed to excel in the jobs of the future.

Education helps young women and girls become fully engaged citizens. We need this more than ever. We are counting on young people to disrupt the status quo and to push for transformative policies that shape the future they envision, as young leaders, allies and advocates for gender equality. By educating and working alongside the next generation, we can support a more inclusive, sustainable and equal future for all people.

Source: InDepthNews.

Viewpoint by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

The writer is UN Women Executive Director. She issued this statement for International Youth Day, 2019.

NEW YORK (IDN) – Sixteen-year old Gambian Jakomba Jabbie wants to be an aerospace engineer. A vocal advocate for girls’ education, she created a robotics team at school to show that girls can also participate in the area of technology, and “to make it a space for all of us”. She knows how important education is, especially to a girl.

She told us, “It allows you to develop confidence in yourself, showcase your talents, and speak up for your rights”. And she pointed out the crucial role of teachers, whose support can help girls take science and mathematics classes even if they are nervous whether their families would approve. “Girls need to be told they can be anything they want to be”, she told us in March this year.

At UN Women, we see girls’ education as an opportunity that offers many potential gains with no drawbacks. Yet, around the world, girls continue to be left behind in education because of household duties like caring for siblings while their mother works, or even having to take responsibility for their own household as child brides.

Cultural barriers like bias against girls amongst educators or physical limitations like inadequate sanitation facilities can disastrously affect their access to schoolrooms and safety during the school day. These effects can be compounded for young women and girls living with disabilities, or those in indigenous communities, refugee camps or other situations of vulnerability.

In conflict contexts, girls are more than twice as likely to be out of school than their counterparts in non-conflict countries, resulting in generations of lost potential and opportunity.

For young women and girls especially, as Jakomba knows, a quality education can enable them to claim their rights, to stand up against discrimination and violence and to develop the skills that lead them to financial autonomy. Comprehensive sexuality education is crucial for girls’ ability to understand their bodies and make decisions about their health care, including their sexual and reproductive health.

According to a recent report from The World Bank, achieving universal secondary education would virtually eliminate child marriage and reduce the prevalence of early childbearing by up to three quarters.

Truly transforming education means making learning accessible to all young people, regardless of their access to a physical classroom and better integrating technology into education, including through the use of mobile devices, so that girls can connect to educational materials wherever they are.

We also need to overturn the deeply rooted stereotypes and social norms that see girls as less deserving of an education, or that keep them from learning the critical STEM and ICT skills needed to excel in the jobs of the future.

Education helps young women and girls become fully engaged citizens. We need this more than ever. We are counting on young people to disrupt the status quo and to push for transformative policies that shape the future they envision, as young leaders, allies and advocates for gender equality. By educating and working alongside the next generation, we can support a more inclusive, sustainable and equal future for all people.

Source: InDepthNews.

Viewpoint by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

The writer is UN Women Executive Director. She issued this statement for International Youth Day, 2019.

NEW YORK (IDN) – Sixteen-year old Gambian Jakomba Jabbie wants to be an aerospace engineer. A vocal advocate for girls’ education, she created a robotics team at school to show that girls can also participate in the area of technology, and “to make it a space for all of us”. She knows how important education is, especially to a girl.

She told us, “It allows you to develop confidence in yourself, showcase your talents, and speak up for your rights”. And she pointed out the crucial role of teachers, whose support can help girls take science and mathematics classes even if they are nervous whether their families would approve. “Girls need to be told they can be anything they want to be”, she told us in March this year.

At UN Women, we see girls’ education as an opportunity that offers many potential gains with no drawbacks. Yet, around the world, girls continue to be left behind in education because of household duties like caring for siblings while their mother works, or even having to take responsibility for their own household as child brides.

Cultural barriers like bias against girls amongst educators or physical limitations like inadequate sanitation facilities can disastrously affect their access to schoolrooms and safety during the school day. These effects can be compounded for young women and girls living with disabilities, or those in indigenous communities, refugee camps or other situations of vulnerability.

In conflict contexts, girls are more than twice as likely to be out of school than their counterparts in non-conflict countries, resulting in generations of lost potential and opportunity.

For young women and girls especially, as Jakomba knows, a quality education can enable them to claim their rights, to stand up against discrimination and violence and to develop the skills that lead them to financial autonomy. Comprehensive sexuality education is crucial for girls’ ability to understand their bodies and make decisions about their health care, including their sexual and reproductive health.

According to a recent report from The World Bank, achieving universal secondary education would virtually eliminate child marriage and reduce the prevalence of early childbearing by up to three quarters.

Truly transforming education means making learning accessible to all young people, regardless of their access to a physical classroom and better integrating technology into education, including through the use of mobile devices, so that girls can connect to educational materials wherever they are.

We also need to overturn the deeply rooted stereotypes and social norms that see girls as less deserving of an education, or that keep them from learning the critical STEM and ICT skills needed to excel in the jobs of the future.

Education helps young women and girls become fully engaged citizens. We need this more than ever. We are counting on young people to disrupt the status quo and to push for transformative policies that shape the future they envision, as young leaders, allies and advocates for gender equality. By educating and working alongside the next generation, we can support a more inclusive, sustainable and equal future for all people.

Source: InDepthNews.

Viewpoint by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

The writer is UN Women Executive Director. She issued this statement for International Youth Day, 2019.

NEW YORK (IDN) – Sixteen-year old Gambian Jakomba Jabbie wants to be an aerospace engineer. A vocal advocate for girls’ education, she created a robotics team at school to show that girls can also participate in the area of technology, and “to make it a space for all of us”. She knows how important education is, especially to a girl.

She told us, “It allows you to develop confidence in yourself, showcase your talents, and speak up for your rights”. And she pointed out the crucial role of teachers, whose support can help girls take science and mathematics classes even if they are nervous whether their families would approve. “Girls need to be told they can be anything they want to be”, she told us in March this year.

At UN Women, we see girls’ education as an opportunity that offers many potential gains with no drawbacks. Yet, around the world, girls continue to be left behind in education because of household duties like caring for siblings while their mother works, or even having to take responsibility for their own household as child brides.

Cultural barriers like bias against girls amongst educators or physical limitations like inadequate sanitation facilities can disastrously affect their access to schoolrooms and safety during the school day. These effects can be compounded for young women and girls living with disabilities, or those in indigenous communities, refugee camps or other situations of vulnerability.

In conflict contexts, girls are more than twice as likely to be out of school than their counterparts in non-conflict countries, resulting in generations of lost potential and opportunity.

For young women and girls especially, as Jakomba knows, a quality education can enable them to claim their rights, to stand up against discrimination and violence and to develop the skills that lead them to financial autonomy. Comprehensive sexuality education is crucial for girls’ ability to understand their bodies and make decisions about their health care, including their sexual and reproductive health.

According to a recent report from The World Bank, achieving universal secondary education would virtually eliminate child marriage and reduce the prevalence of early childbearing by up to three quarters.

Truly transforming education means making learning accessible to all young people, regardless of their access to a physical classroom and better integrating technology into education, including through the use of mobile devices, so that girls can connect to educational materials wherever they are.

We also need to overturn the deeply rooted stereotypes and social norms that see girls as less deserving of an education, or that keep them from learning the critical STEM and ICT skills needed to excel in the jobs of the future.

Education helps young women and girls become fully engaged citizens. We need this more than ever. We are counting on young people to disrupt the status quo and to push for transformative policies that shape the future they envision, as young leaders, allies and advocates for gender equality. By educating and working alongside the next generation, we can support a more inclusive, sustainable and equal future for all people.

Source: InDepthNews.

Viewpoint by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

The writer is UN Women Executive Director. She issued this statement for International Youth Day, 2019.

NEW YORK (IDN) – Sixteen-year old Gambian Jakomba Jabbie wants to be an aerospace engineer. A vocal advocate for girls’ education, she created a robotics team at school to show that girls can also participate in the area of technology, and “to make it a space for all of us”. She knows how important education is, especially to a girl.

She told us, “It allows you to develop confidence in yourself, showcase your talents, and speak up for your rights”. And she pointed out the crucial role of teachers, whose support can help girls take science and mathematics classes even if they are nervous whether their families would approve. “Girls need to be told they can be anything they want to be”, she told us in March this year.

At UN Women, we see girls’ education as an opportunity that offers many potential gains with no drawbacks. Yet, around the world, girls continue to be left behind in education because of household duties like caring for siblings while their mother works, or even having to take responsibility for their own household as child brides.

Cultural barriers like bias against girls amongst educators or physical limitations like inadequate sanitation facilities can disastrously affect their access to schoolrooms and safety during the school day. These effects can be compounded for young women and girls living with disabilities, or those in indigenous communities, refugee camps or other situations of vulnerability.

In conflict contexts, girls are more than twice as likely to be out of school than their counterparts in non-conflict countries, resulting in generations of lost potential and opportunity.

For young women and girls especially, as Jakomba knows, a quality education can enable them to claim their rights, to stand up against discrimination and violence and to develop the skills that lead them to financial autonomy. Comprehensive sexuality education is crucial for girls’ ability to understand their bodies and make decisions about their health care, including their sexual and reproductive health.

According to a recent report from The World Bank, achieving universal secondary education would virtually eliminate child marriage and reduce the prevalence of early childbearing by up to three quarters.

Truly transforming education means making learning accessible to all young people, regardless of their access to a physical classroom and better integrating technology into education, including through the use of mobile devices, so that girls can connect to educational materials wherever they are.

We also need to overturn the deeply rooted stereotypes and social norms that see girls as less deserving of an education, or that keep them from learning the critical STEM and ICT skills needed to excel in the jobs of the future.

Education helps young women and girls become fully engaged citizens. We need this more than ever. We are counting on young people to disrupt the status quo and to push for transformative policies that shape the future they envision, as young leaders, allies and advocates for gender equality. By educating and working alongside the next generation, we can support a more inclusive, sustainable and equal future for all people.

Source: InDepthNews.

Viewpoint by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

The writer is UN Women Executive Director. She issued this statement for International Youth Day, 2019.

NEW YORK (IDN) – Sixteen-year old Gambian Jakomba Jabbie wants to be an aerospace engineer. A vocal advocate for girls’ education, she created a robotics team at school to show that girls can also participate in the area of technology, and “to make it a space for all of us”. She knows how important education is, especially to a girl.

She told us, “It allows you to develop confidence in yourself, showcase your talents, and speak up for your rights”. And she pointed out the crucial role of teachers, whose support can help girls take science and mathematics classes even if they are nervous whether their families would approve. “Girls need to be told they can be anything they want to be”, she told us in March this year.

At UN Women, we see girls’ education as an opportunity that offers many potential gains with no drawbacks. Yet, around the world, girls continue to be left behind in education because of household duties like caring for siblings while their mother works, or even having to take responsibility for their own household as child brides.

Cultural barriers like bias against girls amongst educators or physical limitations like inadequate sanitation facilities can disastrously affect their access to schoolrooms and safety during the school day. These effects can be compounded for young women and girls living with disabilities, or those in indigenous communities, refugee camps or other situations of vulnerability.

In conflict contexts, girls are more than twice as likely to be out of school than their counterparts in non-conflict countries, resulting in generations of lost potential and opportunity.

For young women and girls especially, as Jakomba knows, a quality education can enable them to claim their rights, to stand up against discrimination and violence and to develop the skills that lead them to financial autonomy. Comprehensive sexuality education is crucial for girls’ ability to understand their bodies and make decisions about their health care, including their sexual and reproductive health.

According to a recent report from The World Bank, achieving universal secondary education would virtually eliminate child marriage and reduce the prevalence of early childbearing by up to three quarters.

Truly transforming education means making learning accessible to all young people, regardless of their access to a physical classroom and better integrating technology into education, including through the use of mobile devices, so that girls can connect to educational materials wherever they are.

We also need to overturn the deeply rooted stereotypes and social norms that see girls as less deserving of an education, or that keep them from learning the critical STEM and ICT skills needed to excel in the jobs of the future.

Education helps young women and girls become fully engaged citizens. We need this more than ever. We are counting on young people to disrupt the status quo and to push for transformative policies that shape the future they envision, as young leaders, allies and advocates for gender equality. By educating and working alongside the next generation, we can support a more inclusive, sustainable and equal future for all people.

Source: InDepthNews.

Viewpoint by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

The writer is UN Women Executive Director. She issued this statement for International Youth Day, 2019.

NEW YORK (IDN) – Sixteen-year old Gambian Jakomba Jabbie wants to be an aerospace engineer. A vocal advocate for girls’ education, she created a robotics team at school to show that girls can also participate in the area of technology, and “to make it a space for all of us”. She knows how important education is, especially to a girl.

She told us, “It allows you to develop confidence in yourself, showcase your talents, and speak up for your rights”. And she pointed out the crucial role of teachers, whose support can help girls take science and mathematics classes even if they are nervous whether their families would approve. “Girls need to be told they can be anything they want to be”, she told us in March this year.

At UN Women, we see girls’ education as an opportunity that offers many potential gains with no drawbacks. Yet, around the world, girls continue to be left behind in education because of household duties like caring for siblings while their mother works, or even having to take responsibility for their own household as child brides.

Cultural barriers like bias against girls amongst educators or physical limitations like inadequate sanitation facilities can disastrously affect their access to schoolrooms and safety during the school day. These effects can be compounded for young women and girls living with disabilities, or those in indigenous communities, refugee camps or other situations of vulnerability.

In conflict contexts, girls are more than twice as likely to be out of school than their counterparts in non-conflict countries, resulting in generations of lost potential and opportunity.

For young women and girls especially, as Jakomba knows, a quality education can enable them to claim their rights, to stand up against discrimination and violence and to develop the skills that lead them to financial autonomy. Comprehensive sexuality education is crucial for girls’ ability to understand their bodies and make decisions about their health care, including their sexual and reproductive health.

According to a recent report from The World Bank, achieving universal secondary education would virtually eliminate child marriage and reduce the prevalence of early childbearing by up to three quarters.

Truly transforming education means making learning accessible to all young people, regardless of their access to a physical classroom and better integrating technology into education, including through the use of mobile devices, so that girls can connect to educational materials wherever they are.

We also need to overturn the deeply rooted stereotypes and social norms that see girls as less deserving of an education, or that keep them from learning the critical STEM and ICT skills needed to excel in the jobs of the future.

Education helps young women and girls become fully engaged citizens. We need this more than ever. We are counting on young people to disrupt the status quo and to push for transformative policies that shape the future they envision, as young leaders, allies and advocates for gender equality. By educating and working alongside the next generation, we can support a more inclusive, sustainable and equal future for all people.

Source: InDepthNews.

Viewpoint by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

The writer is UN Women Executive Director. She issued this statement for International Youth Day, 2019.

NEW YORK (IDN) – Sixteen-year old Gambian Jakomba Jabbie wants to be an aerospace engineer. A vocal advocate for girls’ education, she created a robotics team at school to show that girls can also participate in the area of technology, and “to make it a space for all of us”. She knows how important education is, especially to a girl.

She told us, “It allows you to develop confidence in yourself, showcase your talents, and speak up for your rights”. And she pointed out the crucial role of teachers, whose support can help girls take science and mathematics classes even if they are nervous whether their families would approve. “Girls need to be told they can be anything they want to be”, she told us in March this year.

At UN Women, we see girls’ education as an opportunity that offers many potential gains with no drawbacks. Yet, around the world, girls continue to be left behind in education because of household duties like caring for siblings while their mother works, or even having to take responsibility for their own household as child brides.

Cultural barriers like bias against girls amongst educators or physical limitations like inadequate sanitation facilities can disastrously affect their access to schoolrooms and safety during the school day. These effects can be compounded for young women and girls living with disabilities, or those in indigenous communities, refugee camps or other situations of vulnerability.

In conflict contexts, girls are more than twice as likely to be out of school than their counterparts in non-conflict countries, resulting in generations of lost potential and opportunity.

For young women and girls especially, as Jakomba knows, a quality education can enable them to claim their rights, to stand up against discrimination and violence and to develop the skills that lead them to financial autonomy. Comprehensive sexuality education is crucial for girls’ ability to understand their bodies and make decisions about their health care, including their sexual and reproductive health.

According to a recent report from The World Bank, achieving universal secondary education would virtually eliminate child marriage and reduce the prevalence of early childbearing by up to three quarters.

Truly transforming education means making learning accessible to all young people, regardless of their access to a physical classroom and better integrating technology into education, including through the use of mobile devices, so that girls can connect to educational materials wherever they are.

We also need to overturn the deeply rooted stereotypes and social norms that see girls as less deserving of an education, or that keep them from learning the critical STEM and ICT skills needed to excel in the jobs of the future.

Education helps young women and girls become fully engaged citizens. We need this more than ever. We are counting on young people to disrupt the status quo and to push for transformative policies that shape the future they envision, as young leaders, allies and advocates for gender equality. By educating and working alongside the next generation, we can support a more inclusive, sustainable and equal future for all people.

Source: InDepthNews.

Viewpoint by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

The writer is UN Women Executive Director. She issued this statement for International Youth Day, 2019.

NEW YORK (IDN) – Sixteen-year old Gambian Jakomba Jabbie wants to be an aerospace engineer. A vocal advocate for girls’ education, she created a robotics team at school to show that girls can also participate in the area of technology, and “to make it a space for all of us”. She knows how important education is, especially to a girl.

She told us, “It allows you to develop confidence in yourself, showcase your talents, and speak up for your rights”. And she pointed out the crucial role of teachers, whose support can help girls take science and mathematics classes even if they are nervous whether their families would approve. “Girls need to be told they can be anything they want to be”, she told us in March this year.

At UN Women, we see girls’ education as an opportunity that offers many potential gains with no drawbacks. Yet, around the world, girls continue to be left behind in education because of household duties like caring for siblings while their mother works, or even having to take responsibility for their own household as child brides.

Cultural barriers like bias against girls amongst educators or physical limitations like inadequate sanitation facilities can disastrously affect their access to schoolrooms and safety during the school day. These effects can be compounded for young women and girls living with disabilities, or those in indigenous communities, refugee camps or other situations of vulnerability.

In conflict contexts, girls are more than twice as likely to be out of school than their counterparts in non-conflict countries, resulting in generations of lost potential and opportunity.

For young women and girls especially, as Jakomba knows, a quality education can enable them to claim their rights, to stand up against discrimination and violence and to develop the skills that lead them to financial autonomy. Comprehensive sexuality education is crucial for girls’ ability to understand their bodies and make decisions about their health care, including their sexual and reproductive health.

According to a recent report from The World Bank, achieving universal secondary education would virtually eliminate child marriage and reduce the prevalence of early childbearing by up to three quarters.

Truly transforming education means making learning accessible to all young people, regardless of their access to a physical classroom and better integrating technology into education, including through the use of mobile devices, so that girls can connect to educational materials wherever they are.

We also need to overturn the deeply rooted stereotypes and social norms that see girls as less deserving of an education, or that keep them from learning the critical STEM and ICT skills needed to excel in the jobs of the future.

Education helps young women and girls become fully engaged citizens. We need this more than ever. We are counting on young people to disrupt the status quo and to push for transformative policies that shape the future they envision, as young leaders, allies and advocates for gender equality. By educating and working alongside the next generation, we can support a more inclusive, sustainable and equal future for all people.

Source: InDepthNews.

Viewpoint by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

The writer is UN Women Executive Director. She issued this statement for International Youth Day, 2019.

NEW YORK (IDN) – Sixteen-year old Gambian Jakomba Jabbie wants to be an aerospace engineer. A vocal advocate for girls’ education, she created a robotics team at school to show that girls can also participate in the area of technology, and “to make it a space for all of us”. She knows how important education is, especially to a girl.

She told us, “It allows you to develop confidence in yourself, showcase your talents, and speak up for your rights”. And she pointed out the crucial role of teachers, whose support can help girls take science and mathematics classes even if they are nervous whether their families would approve. “Girls need to be told they can be anything they want to be”, she told us in March this year.

At UN Women, we see girls’ education as an opportunity that offers many potential gains with no drawbacks. Yet, around the world, girls continue to be left behind in education because of household duties like caring for siblings while their mother works, or even having to take responsibility for their own household as child brides.

Cultural barriers like bias against girls amongst educators or physical limitations like inadequate sanitation facilities can disastrously affect their access to schoolrooms and safety during the school day. These effects can be compounded for young women and girls living with disabilities, or those in indigenous communities, refugee camps or other situations of vulnerability.

In conflict contexts, girls are more than twice as likely to be out of school than their counterparts in non-conflict countries, resulting in generations of lost potential and opportunity.

For young women and girls especially, as Jakomba knows, a quality education can enable them to claim their rights, to stand up against discrimination and violence and to develop the skills that lead them to financial autonomy. Comprehensive sexuality education is crucial for girls’ ability to understand their bodies and make decisions about their health care, including their sexual and reproductive health.

According to a recent report from The World Bank, achieving universal secondary education would virtually eliminate child marriage and reduce the prevalence of early childbearing by up to three quarters.

Truly transforming education means making learning accessible to all young people, regardless of their access to a physical classroom and better integrating technology into education, including through the use of mobile devices, so that girls can connect to educational materials wherever they are.

We also need to overturn the deeply rooted stereotypes and social norms that see girls as less deserving of an education, or that keep them from learning the critical STEM and ICT skills needed to excel in the jobs of the future.

Education helps young women and girls become fully engaged citizens. We need this more than ever. We are counting on young people to disrupt the status quo and to push for transformative policies that shape the future they envision, as young leaders, allies and advocates for gender equality. By educating and working alongside the next generation, we can support a more inclusive, sustainable and equal future for all people.

Source: InDepthNews.

Viewpoint by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

The writer is UN Women Executive Director. She issued this statement for International Youth Day, 2019.

NEW YORK (IDN) – Sixteen-year old Gambian Jakomba Jabbie wants to be an aerospace engineer. A vocal advocate for girls’ education, she created a robotics team at school to show that girls can also participate in the area of technology, and “to make it a space for all of us”. She knows how important education is, especially to a girl.

She told us, “It allows you to develop confidence in yourself, showcase your talents, and speak up for your rights”. And she pointed out the crucial role of teachers, whose support can help girls take science and mathematics classes even if they are nervous whether their families would approve. “Girls need to be told they can be anything they want to be”, she told us in March this year.

At UN Women, we see girls’ education as an opportunity that offers many potential gains with no drawbacks. Yet, around the world, girls continue to be left behind in education because of household duties like caring for siblings while their mother works, or even having to take responsibility for their own household as child brides.

Cultural barriers like bias against girls amongst educators or physical limitations like inadequate sanitation facilities can disastrously affect their access to schoolrooms and safety during the school day. These effects can be compounded for young women and girls living with disabilities, or those in indigenous communities, refugee camps or other situations of vulnerability.

In conflict contexts, girls are more than twice as likely to be out of school than their counterparts in non-conflict countries, resulting in generations of lost potential and opportunity.

For young women and girls especially, as Jakomba knows, a quality education can enable them to claim their rights, to stand up against discrimination and violence and to develop the skills that lead them to financial autonomy. Comprehensive sexuality education is crucial for girls’ ability to understand their bodies and make decisions about their health care, including their sexual and reproductive health.

According to a recent report from The World Bank, achieving universal secondary education would virtually eliminate child marriage and reduce the prevalence of early childbearing by up to three quarters.

Truly transforming education means making learning accessible to all young people, regardless of their access to a physical classroom and better integrating technology into education, including through the use of mobile devices, so that girls can connect to educational materials wherever they are.

We also need to overturn the deeply rooted stereotypes and social norms that see girls as less deserving of an education, or that keep them from learning the critical STEM and ICT skills needed to excel in the jobs of the future.

Education helps young women and girls become fully engaged citizens. We need this more than ever. We are counting on young people to disrupt the status quo and to push for transformative policies that shape the future they envision, as young leaders, allies and advocates for gender equality. By educating and working alongside the next generation, we can support a more inclusive, sustainable and equal future for all people.

Source: InDepthNews.

Voices is part of a new IPU web series in which we interview parliamentarians from around the world. The views and opinions they express are their own and do not necessarily reflect the IPU’s position.

Marta Grande, young MP from Italy, is a member of the IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians. We interviewed her on the occasion of International Youth Day on 12 August.

What are the barriers preventing youth from running for parliament in your country?

I think that detachment from politics is the main reason behind the lack of participation in politics, not just in my country but in many others.

In Italy, we do not have any real barriers that prevent youth from running for parliament. In 2013 I was the youngest woman MP, and can see that young people are not usually seen as political achievers.In politics, as in any other field of life, experience is important. But young politicians should also have the chance to challenge themselves and to grow. That is the only way to have experienced politicians in the future.

What can parliaments/governments do to make it easier?

I do not think that parliaments and governments can do much because first we have to change the attitudes towards young people and the culture of political participation. We must realize that politics is something that concerns each one of us so we all have to be engaged and be interested in it, especially at a young age. With participation comes effective engagement, something that we have to re-establish.

How has your experience in the IPU helped change you as an MP in your home country?

It has definitely changed me. Being part of the IPU Forum of Young MPs is a great way to understand other politicians’ points of view on various issues. At the same time, it allows us to come into contact with colleagues who would otherwise be hard to reach; I have to admit that the IPU creates a great opportunity to build bridges and cooperate across continents.

Source: Inter-Parlamentary Union.

Voices is part of a new IPU web series in which we interview parliamentarians from around the world. The views and opinions they express are their own and do not necessarily reflect the IPU’s position.

Marta Grande, young MP from Italy, is a member of the IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians. We interviewed her on the occasion of International Youth Day on 12 August.

What are the barriers preventing youth from running for parliament in your country?

I think that detachment from politics is the main reason behind the lack of participation in politics, not just in my country but in many others.

In Italy, we do not have any real barriers that prevent youth from running for parliament. In 2013 I was the youngest woman MP, and can see that young people are not usually seen as political achievers.In politics, as in any other field of life, experience is important. But young politicians should also have the chance to challenge themselves and to grow. That is the only way to have experienced politicians in the future.

What can parliaments/governments do to make it easier?

I do not think that parliaments and governments can do much because first we have to change the attitudes towards young people and the culture of political participation. We must realize that politics is something that concerns each one of us so we all have to be engaged and be interested in it, especially at a young age. With participation comes effective engagement, something that we have to re-establish.

How has your experience in the IPU helped change you as an MP in your home country?

It has definitely changed me. Being part of the IPU Forum of Young MPs is a great way to understand other politicians’ points of view on various issues. At the same time, it allows us to come into contact with colleagues who would otherwise be hard to reach; I have to admit that the IPU creates a great opportunity to build bridges and cooperate across continents.

Source: Inter-Parlamentary Union.

Voices is part of a new IPU web series in which we interview parliamentarians from around the world. The views and opinions they express are their own and do not necessarily reflect the IPU’s position.

Marta Grande, young MP from Italy, is a member of the IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians. We interviewed her on the occasion of International Youth Day on 12 August.

What are the barriers preventing youth from running for parliament in your country?

I think that detachment from politics is the main reason behind the lack of participation in politics, not just in my country but in many others.

In Italy, we do not have any real barriers that prevent youth from running for parliament. In 2013 I was the youngest woman MP, and can see that young people are not usually seen as political achievers.In politics, as in any other field of life, experience is important. But young politicians should also have the chance to challenge themselves and to grow. That is the only way to have experienced politicians in the future.

What can parliaments/governments do to make it easier?

I do not think that parliaments and governments can do much because first we have to change the attitudes towards young people and the culture of political participation. We must realize that politics is something that concerns each one of us so we all have to be engaged and be interested in it, especially at a young age. With participation comes effective engagement, something that we have to re-establish.

How has your experience in the IPU helped change you as an MP in your home country?

It has definitely changed me. Being part of the IPU Forum of Young MPs is a great way to understand other politicians’ points of view on various issues. At the same time, it allows us to come into contact with colleagues who would otherwise be hard to reach; I have to admit that the IPU creates a great opportunity to build bridges and cooperate across continents.

Source: Inter-Parlamentary Union.

Voices is part of a new IPU web series in which we interview parliamentarians from around the world. The views and opinions they express are their own and do not necessarily reflect the IPU’s position.

Marta Grande, young MP from Italy, is a member of the IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians. We interviewed her on the occasion of International Youth Day on 12 August.

What are the barriers preventing youth from running for parliament in your country?

I think that detachment from politics is the main reason behind the lack of participation in politics, not just in my country but in many others.

In Italy, we do not have any real barriers that prevent youth from running for parliament. In 2013 I was the youngest woman MP, and can see that young people are not usually seen as political achievers.In politics, as in any other field of life, experience is important. But young politicians should also have the chance to challenge themselves and to grow. That is the only way to have experienced politicians in the future.

What can parliaments/governments do to make it easier?

I do not think that parliaments and governments can do much because first we have to change the attitudes towards young people and the culture of political participation. We must realize that politics is something that concerns each one of us so we all have to be engaged and be interested in it, especially at a young age. With participation comes effective engagement, something that we have to re-establish.

How has your experience in the IPU helped change you as an MP in your home country?

It has definitely changed me. Being part of the IPU Forum of Young MPs is a great way to understand other politicians’ points of view on various issues. At the same time, it allows us to come into contact with colleagues who would otherwise be hard to reach; I have to admit that the IPU creates a great opportunity to build bridges and cooperate across continents.

Source: Inter-Parlamentary Union.

Voices is part of a new IPU web series in which we interview parliamentarians from around the world. The views and opinions they express are their own and do not necessarily reflect the IPU’s position.

Marta Grande, young MP from Italy, is a member of the IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians. We interviewed her on the occasion of International Youth Day on 12 August.

What are the barriers preventing youth from running for parliament in your country?

I think that detachment from politics is the main reason behind the lack of participation in politics, not just in my country but in many others.

In Italy, we do not have any real barriers that prevent youth from running for parliament. In 2013 I was the youngest woman MP, and can see that young people are not usually seen as political achievers.In politics, as in any other field of life, experience is important. But young politicians should also have the chance to challenge themselves and to grow. That is the only way to have experienced politicians in the future.

What can parliaments/governments do to make it easier?

I do not think that parliaments and governments can do much because first we have to change the attitudes towards young people and the culture of political participation. We must realize that politics is something that concerns each one of us so we all have to be engaged and be interested in it, especially at a young age. With participation comes effective engagement, something that we have to re-establish.

How has your experience in the IPU helped change you as an MP in your home country?

It has definitely changed me. Being part of the IPU Forum of Young MPs is a great way to understand other politicians’ points of view on various issues. At the same time, it allows us to come into contact with colleagues who would otherwise be hard to reach; I have to admit that the IPU creates a great opportunity to build bridges and cooperate across continents.

Source: Inter-Parlamentary Union.

Voices is part of a new IPU web series in which we interview parliamentarians from around the world. The views and opinions they express are their own and do not necessarily reflect the IPU’s position.

Marta Grande, young MP from Italy, is a member of the IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians. We interviewed her on the occasion of International Youth Day on 12 August.

What are the barriers preventing youth from running for parliament in your country?

I think that detachment from politics is the main reason behind the lack of participation in politics, not just in my country but in many others.

In Italy, we do not have any real barriers that prevent youth from running for parliament. In 2013 I was the youngest woman MP, and can see that young people are not usually seen as political achievers.In politics, as in any other field of life, experience is important. But young politicians should also have the chance to challenge themselves and to grow. That is the only way to have experienced politicians in the future.

What can parliaments/governments do to make it easier?

I do not think that parliaments and governments can do much because first we have to change the attitudes towards young people and the culture of political participation. We must realize that politics is something that concerns each one of us so we all have to be engaged and be interested in it, especially at a young age. With participation comes effective engagement, something that we have to re-establish.

How has your experience in the IPU helped change you as an MP in your home country?

It has definitely changed me. Being part of the IPU Forum of Young MPs is a great way to understand other politicians’ points of view on various issues. At the same time, it allows us to come into contact with colleagues who would otherwise be hard to reach; I have to admit that the IPU creates a great opportunity to build bridges and cooperate across continents.

Source: Inter-Parlamentary Union.