Gender equality must be a G7 priority
Are G7 leaders interested in gender equality?
This year the answer could be yes. Prime Minister Trudeau has placed gender issues on the summit agenda. That means that leaders of some of the world’s most powerful nations will discuss issues while considering the impact of their decisions on girls and women around the world.
I hope they’ll also recognize that 130 million out-of-school girls in developing countries have a measurable impact on G7 countries’ economies, prospects for peace, public health and so much more.
Girls’ education grows economies. Millions more educated girls means more working women with the potential to add up to USD $12 trillion to global growth.
On the other hand, we are facing a global skills crisis. By 2020, the world could have 40 million job vacancies, but not enough educated workers to fill them. Without substantial new investments in secondary education, many countries will face a surplus of lowskilled workers and a shortage of professionals, leading to high unemployment and major gaps in the labour market.
Sending all girls to school for 12 years reduces conflict and fosters stability throughout countries and regions. Populations with a secondary education are three times more likely to support democracy than people with no education. And education is critical to security around the world because extremism grows alongside inequality — in places where people feel they have no opportunity, no voice, no hope.
When they invest in girls’ education, countries can also improve public health, mitigate the effects of climate change and recover faster from natural disasters.
So, with rates of return this high, why are 130 million girls still out of school? When we know refugee children are future leaders on whom we will all depend for peace, why are 75% of them unable to access secondary education?
For far too long, G7 leaders have overlooked girls — a critical solution to many of the problems they try to solve at summit after summit. This year, this G7 must begin to reverse that trend.
As a member of Prime Minister Trudeau’s Gender Equality Advisory Council, I offer no apologies when I say I joined this group to encourage G7 leaders to prioritize girls’ education.
In our recommendations, my fellow Council members and I call on leaders to “provide policy and funding support to developing and conflict-affected countries to improve access to a minimum of 12 years of free, safe, quality gender-responsive education.” I can think of no greater legacy for Canada’s G7 Summit than this.
To demonstrate their commitment and take a first step toward closing the global education finance gap, Malala Fund is asking the G7 to give at least USD $1.3 billion over the next three years to get more girls in school.
Will our leaders recognize the power of millions of girls to grow economies, reduce conflict and transform their communities if given access to 12 years of education? For a safer, healthier and wealthier world for all of us, I hope the answer is yes.
Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist, student, UN Messenger of Peace and the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. At age 15, she was shot by the Taliban for speaking out against their ban on girls’ education. Malala recovered, continued her campaign and, as co-founder of Malala Fund, is building a global movement of support for 12 years of girls’ education.