In this op-ed, Sofia Carson explains why she supports the Keeping Girls in School Act, an effort to bolster education for girls worldwide. Come see Sofia speak at the 2019 Teen Vogue Summit, November 1-3, in Los Angeles. For more information on the Teen Vogue Summit, Sofia Carson's involvement, or to buy tickets, go here.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there is no stronger force in this world than an empowered and educated woman. I know this to be true, and I think many of you do as well. We need our politicians to acknowledge this — and we need them to act.
Around the world, 130 million girls between ages 6 and 17 are out of school. These girls aren’t missing out on quality education by choice; they are being denied their right to an education because of child marriage, violence, poverty, and other barriers that stand in their way.
Think about some of your most important learning moments in school. Perhaps it was when you learned that words are important tools with the power to create change? Or maybe it was it when you solved an algebra equation for the first time and saw that even complex problems can have logical solutions? For me, it was the moment I learned the true, incomparable power of an education; when I learned that for many girls, in every corner of the world, an education is an unattainable “privilege,” rather than an inalienable right.
Now imagine what it would be like if that wonder and power was stripped from you simply because you were born a girl in a country where your right to an education wasn’t prioritized. Leaders around the world know that education has the power to transform lives: For every additional year that a girl is in school, her future salary increases by 10-20% and she will be less vulnerable to violence. So what’s stopping us?
Today is International Day of the Girl and the very least we can do is try and reclaim this power for our sisters around the world.
UNICEF USA is supporting a bill in Congress called the Keeping Girls in School (KGIS) Act. The legislation seeks to address barriers that adolescent girls face in accessing school. Building upon existing U.S. government strategies, the legislation would help spur innovation and partnerships to ensure all girls have access to a quality education.
I have traveled with UNICEF and seen firsthand the incredible work they do for young women and girls who are constantly up against obstacles that so often make education feel like a faraway dream. UNICEF believes keeping girls in school is an unparalleled catalyst for change, one that can provide benefits for girls today, promise for girls in the future, and unmatched benefits for the world at large — and so do I.
The U.S. government has good programs to improve access to education in developing countries, but there is much room for improvement when it comes to the education and protection of adolescent girls. As citizens, we can make a difference to make the world a more just place for all. By following this link or texting EDUCATE to 52886 you can be a change maker for millions of girls around the world. This International Day of the Girl, join me in urging our members of Congress to pass the KGIS Act — the time is now and we all must take action.
