Elimu Africa's primary mission is to support education for disadvantaged kids in Africa. Additionally, we support educational initiatives and programs to empower girls and women. Research clearly shows a close link between female education levels and improved quality of life. We encourage our partners in Africa to offer a curriculum aimed at educating both male and female students to promote the issue of gender equity.
In 2000, world leaders met to develop the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of eight anti-poverty goals. Promoting gender equality and promoting education for kids are two of the eight MDGs to be achieved by the year 2015. We at Elimu Africa are firmly dedicated to making progress toward these important goals.
Women's rights are a worldwide issue; women experience different freedoms than their male counterparts. Females face varying human rights abuses in different countries and even within different local communities and their families. We do not make the sweeping generalization that all women and girls are mistreated or disrespected in all of Africa. But at the very least, gender inequity involves unequal levels of respect for females within a culture or family. Often girls feel pressured to marry young and have children at early ages, which prevents them from going forward with their educations. They often have fewer educational and professional opportunities. This leaves females vulnerable to experience further human rights abuses.
Of course, this issue is multilayered and complex and cannot be solved easily or in a short amount of time. A good first step in the process of improving gender equity involves inspiring the females to break free of the cultural barriers, obtain their education and be proud of who they are. This shift will require the education of both females and males.
Higher levels of education for females results in:
- Increased respect and better treatment within their families and communities
- Increased professional success and prosperity
- Improved health for themselves and their families.
- Lower pregnancy rates
- Lower infant death rates
- Increased opportunity for posts in government allowing them to introduce gender sensitive policies.
"The whole society is at risk when any segment of society is poorly educated." Jeffrey Sachs
Elimu Africa's continuing efforts to improve the lives of women and children in Africa includes producing "Miss Africa," a song in their honor.