Advancing Gender Equity in Education
An educated girl will open doors for herself
In the developing world, gender parity in education is as elusive as ever, and girls continue to systematically lose out on the benefits that an education affords. According to UNICEF: “For every 100 boys out of school, there are 115 girls in the same situation. Nearly 1 of every 5 girls who enrolls in primary school in developing countries does not complete a primary education.” Missing out on a primary education deprives a girl of the opportunity to develop to her full potential, and locks her into a vicious cycle of poverty. Vision Builders provides support services to clear roadblocks so that girls can enroll and remain in school.
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The Early Childhood Education Initiative (Cooperative Nursery School Program)In rural India and China, simple economics and persistent gender bias combine to prevent girls from getting an education. It is common for young girls to remain out of school in order to provide infant care for younger siblings while parents work. To address this problem, we’ve developed the cooperative nursery school program. With cooperative nursery schools in place, everyone benefits. Mothers have a safe, nurturing environment for their preschoolers, and their young daughters are free to take full advantage of the educational opportunities available. The Sengcham Drukmo Home for GirlsSituated in China’s impoverished Qinghai Province, this program addresses the little-known problem of abandoned girls. For girls who would otherwise be homeless beggars or slave-laborers, the home provides nurturing shelter: a warm bed, food, clothing and medical care, as well as the previously undreamed of opportunity to attend school. The Sengcham Drukmo Home literally saves girls’ lives and creates a world where they can grow to their greatest potential. The Jeane Kirkpatrick Scholarship Fund for Girls Named for the late Jeane Kirkpatrick, former US Ambassador to the United Nations (and mother of Vision Builders’ founder), this program offers girls in the developing world the opportunity of higher education. Dr. Kirkpatrick, in addition to her accomplishments as a trailblazer for women in American politics, was a lifelong scholar who believed passionately in the tremendous importance of educating girls. Her own girlhood love of books, learning and critical thinking, would eventually grow into a larger view: in order to promote the stability and advancement of societies, we must educate girls. She spoke both privately and publicly on the importance of gender parity in education, particularly in developing and unstable regions. This scholarship program ensures that girls with the desire for higher studies are not stopped short by poverty. One Girl's Story…Tsering, pictured here and in the header photo above, will soon begin nursing school, thanks to the Jeane Kirkpatrick Scholarship Fund. Fluent in English and Tibetan, she recently served as a translator for Vision Builders medical professionals visiting the Medical Clinic at Payingdem village. She assisted staff in medical exams and administered a survey to assess medical needs in the area. She is kind, intelligent and motivated. Upon completion of her studies, Tsering plans to give back to her community by providing nursing care at the Payingdem clinic. |
