The Power of Girls: Child Rights and Gender Equality in a Post-2015 Development Framework - Plan International

From the abstract: "This Plan International paper argues that the post-2015 agenda should focus on adolescent girls in the efforts towards reducing inequalities. By adopting human rights principles and an equity approach it becomes apparent that adolescent girls are amongst the most excluded groups. Development progress will continue to lag unless girls are recognised as key to challenging the root causes of poverty. Reaching those at the bottom of the development ladder would prove a true measure of success and provide policy makers with incentives to broaden their ambition. The best tool for achieving progress in advancing gender equality and reducing inequalities in broader society is by providing girls with at least 9 years of quality education and ensuring that the barriers that keep them from realising their right to education, particularly child marriage and school related gender based violence, are identified and challenged. A clear definition of quality education that includes the promotion of gender equality, non-discrimination and human rights principles, and the delivery of gender sensitive curricula and teaching methods, should be at the heart of the post-2015 agenda. A good quality education has the power to build the skills, knowledge and abilities of girls and boys to participate in processes of social transformation and democratisation, and to promote accountability and transparency.

Therefore, the paper asserts a strong focus on 'quality education' for adolescent girls, coupled with effective mechanisms that will allow girls and boys to participate and be heard in the discussions about a post-2015 development agenda."

As stated here, girls with at least 9 years of education are less likely to be subject to child marriage and more likely to develop the skills and knowledge to make empowered reproductive health choices. However, school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) is a key barrier to girls' education. "The dynamics of unequal power relations and harmful norms will be reproduced within school systems unless a broader view of quality education is recognised and adopted." It suggests a need to overhaul the approach and understanding of schooling as a holistic environment rather than focusing on attendance numbers. "One option is creating a specific goal on gender equality that will bring together enrolment, transition, and completion of 9 years of quality education  -  measuring both quantitative targets (completion and transition rates between primary and lower secondary) as well as qualitative targets that will measure learning outcomes (levels of literacy and numeracy)."

The document suggests an agenda for transformation that includes advocacy for adolescent girls in the areas of human rights values and achievement of gender equality, using an equity approach. Addressing inequalities through education can have the following benefits:

• It has been estimated that universal secondary education for girls in sub-Saharan Africa could save as many as 1.8 million lives annually (UNESCO, 2010).
• Each extra year of a woman’s schooling reduces the probability of infant mortality by 5% to 10% (UNESCO, 2010).
• Women with post-primary education are five times more likely than illiterate women to be educated about HIV and AIDS (UNESCO, 2010).
• When a girl in the developing world receives seven or more years of education, she marries four years later and has 2.2 fewer children (Nike Foundation, 2012).

Regarding sustainable development and the Millennium Development Goals, the document suggests: "Girls in particular should be empowered to participate in post-2015 decision making processes and to support a new inequalities agenda....A new agenda which intends to be truly universal and equitable must take into account the unique needs of adolescent girls in order to tackle inequalities in an effective and sustainable way." It recommends participation of adolescents in government process.

The document concludes with recommendations, including the following:

• appointing a lead United Nations-level advocate fully dedicated to promoting attention to girls' needs;
• creating a dedicated goal that promotes the completion of at least 9 years of quality education for girls through qualitative and quantitative targets and creating effective mechanisms to ensure national governments are incentivised to adopt and operationalise this goal; and
• addressing systematically issues of gender based violence.