Every morning we learn from the daily newspapers about conflicts in various parts of the world. What we rarely see is the devastating impact these crises have on children and youth, especially girls. For a girl, a crisis can mean a devastating change in life choices — to flee violence or to be married for her own protection. Supporting a girl to stay in school and continue her education means giving her another choice, one that restores dignity and hope.
Kudos to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for his recent announcement that investing in girls’ education in crisis situations is a vital part of achieving gender equality. Now Trudeau needs to enlist the support of the world’s strongest and richest countries, whose leaders will be at the upcoming G7 meeting in Charlevoix, Quebec.
A G7 Declaration to Educate and Empower Girls in Crises, along with solid financial commitments, would go a long way toward ensuring that powerful words translate into powerful action.
Chitra Ramaswami,
Calgary
