Gender and Poverty Webinar

Thursday February 9, 2012

Speaker: Amboka Wameyo, World Vision Canada

Introductions

Bruce Peninsula District SchoolLion’s Head, OntarioC.W. Jefferys CollegiateToronto, OntarioNanaimo District SecondaryNanaimo, British Columbia

Amboka Wameyo, World VisionTanzania/Kenya

What Happens When Girls Don’t Get a Chance?

• Approx 25% of girls in developing countries are not in school.

• In 2009 around 35 million girls were out of school compared to 31 million boys.

• Almost ½ of the world’s out of school girls are in Sub-Saharan Africa. Around ¼ are in South Asia.

• One girl in 7 in developing countries marries by age fifteen. 38 % marry by age 18.

• 25 to 50% of girls in developing countries are mothers before age 18.

• Pregnancy is the leading cause of death among girls aged 15 to 19 worldwide.

• 75% of HIV-infected youth in Africa are girls.

Sources: The Mother and Child Health and Education Trust websiteThe World Bank: Girl’s Education Center for Gender Equity: “Keeping The Promise : Five Benefits of Girls’ Secondary Education” (May Rihani, 2006)

What Happens When We Invest in Girls Education?

• When a girl in the developing world receives 7+ years of education, she marries 4 years later, and has 2.2 fewer children.

• An extra year of primary school boosts a girl’s eventual wages by 10-20 %, an extra year of secondary school by 15-25 %.

• When you educate a girl you educate her family as well.

• 90 % of income earned by women and girls is invested back into their families, compared to 30-40 % for men.

Five Main Benefits of Providing Secondary Education for Girls1. Increased primary school enrollment and completion. 2. Social benefits such as higher economic growth, better health care and education. 3. Adult women have healthier children. 4. Prevention strategy against HIV and AIDS.5. A tool for poverty alleviation.

Grace (5 years old)

Daniel (5 years old)

• Value of girls (cultural preference)• Gender selection• Terms defined: gender equality and gender based discrimination

Grace (10 years old)

Daniel (10 years old)

• Domestic roles/chores• Access to primary education (parity at enrolment and in primary school)

Questions

Grace (teen)

Daniel (teen)

• Early forced marriage/poverty• Circumcision and initiation into adulthood (clear gender roles)• Conflict• Secondary Education/Employment• “Choice” vs. Necessity• Rural vs. Urban• Participation and voice

Grace (adult)

Daniel (adult)

• Child birth (number, spacing, health)• effects of HIV and AIDS • Labour/employment• Differentiation of roles (women’s responsibilities for food security, children’s health, water, etc.)• Inheritance of land and family wealth• Voice and agency (community, political power)

Questions

World Vision Interventions and Gender Programming

• Awareness campaigns for gender equality• Changing cultural attitudes and perceptions of women• Child and maternal health programs• Early marriage interventions (attitudes and laws)• Access to education: formal and non-formal • Advocacy with communities and governments (child parliaments)

Questions

Further Resources:

World Vision CONNECT Resources: The Girl Factorwww.worldvision.ca/connect/teachers

Because I am a Girl: Plan Canada campaignwww.becauseiamagirl.ca

World Bank: Girl’s Education websitewww.worldbank.org/education/girls

The Female Factor: New York Times serieshttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/world/series/the_female_factor/index.html

Thank You!

Join our next Live Webinar

Child Protection in Haiti, Monday March 5, 12 noon to 1 p.m. (EDT)with Carleen McGuinty, WVC Child Protection Specialist

ContactNancy Del Col and Hoa Truong-White, WVC Global Education TeamGlobal_ed@worldvision.ca