Turning Education From a Privilege into a Right

• by Inaki Borda (united nations)
• Wednesday, July 13, 2011
• Inter Press Service

Girls comprise over half of this overwhelming figure. They are forced to work in the fields and care for family members, deprived of the chance to attend school.

The character-driven documentary 'To Educate a Girl', directed by Frederick Rendina and Oren Rudavsky, tries to make this reality more visible to the rest of the world by showing the lives and struggles of six girls in Nepal and Uganda.

The main goal of this documentary is to 'educate those in the Western world who have no idea,' Rudavsky said. 'Those who see the movie see how hard it is to get a step up in the developing world and what the threats are.'

'I have found that most people in dire circumstances around the world, when given the opportunity to tell their stories, they really want to, and a documentary gives them a chance to have their voices heard where they otherwise would not be,' filmmaker Rendina told IPS.

The movie, supported by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI), aired for the first time on Link TV's broadcast network on Jun. 24.

Progress and possibilities

Despite the magnitude of this global issue, the situation holds promise of improvement, as the numbers of children unable to attend school are gradually decreasing.

'The world has come from 110 million children out of school — two- thirds girls - to just 72 million with just over half girls 10 years later,' Rendina said.

He noted that the newest statistics indicate the number has dropped to 67 million, adding, 'No matter how you slice it, that is progress.'

He attributes this not only to the effectiveness of grassroots activities like the film, but to the way enrolment and the gender gap have been addressed through the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals.

All of the characters in the film are victims of 'pandemic' issues that prevent girls from receiving even the most basic education: gender bias, conflicts, early marriage, poverty and a lack of teachers - one problem that is not exclusive to girls.

In addition, the movie shows many girls lacking motivation and self- confidence. Even if parents do not foster the growth of these qualities, however, they can be developed through other sources. For instance, 'Chatting with my best friend,' a popular radio programme in Nepal, tries to offer solutions to girls who have no access to a formal education.

'In some situations, especially with teenagers, just knowing that others have the same problems, and being able to show their parents a simple pamphlet or listen to a show... really does make a difference,' Rendina says.

A close partnership and shared goals

The ambitious project started when the filmmakers were approached by UNGEI, a partnership of organisations committed to narrowing the gender gap in primary and secondary education.

'What we do is ensure that the global community speaks with one voice when it comes to advocating for girls' education and gender issues in education,' Cheryl Faye, head of UNGEI Secretariat, told IPS.

Faye herself and the filmmakers share goals and visions, including 'to elucidate the issues around girls' education and hopefully let people know that, while progress is being made, there's much to be done,' Rendina said.

UNGEI's aim by 2015 is for all children to be able complete primary schooling, with boys and girls having equal access to free, quality education.

'It's definitely time to start moving quickly. We are looking at not only just scaling up successful programmes, but we're looking at the most marginalised children. We discovered that many interventions for providing social services sometimes reach those who are the easiest to reach. But those who are the hardest to reach will help the global community meet those numbers more quickly,' Faye told IPS.

'These are frequently girls with multiple deprivations. They are from poor communities, from ethnic minorities, children living in rural areas, or even children with disabilities.' Specifically targeting those children will, according to Faye, lift the final numbers.

One of the most important methods that UNGEI uses it is social mobilisation, a package of interventions aimed not only at policy makers, community leaders and parents, but at children as well.

'They are programmes aimed at scholarships for girls, programmes that involve legislation, so that girls are not able to get married so early. Also, policies that involve ensuring that if the girl gets pregnant and drops out of school, once the baby is delivered, she is able to go back to school,' Faye explained.

One challenge, however, is that at times the quality of the education itself is inadequate. 'We are actively engaged in helping to ensure that quality of education systems is strong,' Faye said.

As a result, UNICEF advocates for a child friendly schooling that makes schools more welcoming and actual places of learning for children.

© Inter Press Service (2011) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service

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