In France, boys are more than twice as likely to graduate in STEM subjects than girls, and nearly four times as likely to be employed as Information and Communications Technology (ICT) specialists, according to the European Commission’s 2020 Women in Digital Scoreboard. Houda, a computer science student is working to change up this dynamic.
Anojitha Sivaskaran is an internally displaced person who grew up facing the hardships of Sri Lanka’s civil war. She has directly experienced food shortages, insecurity, injustice, and inadequate shelter, but continues to fight for sustainable peace and quality education. In her blog, Anojitha talks about the importance of including young people in order to make transformational change both locally and globally.
A programme to end open defecation in Jharkhand ends up transforming gender roles, with female toilet builders tackling gender gaps and taking on menstrual hygiene management.
Girls education is an important topic for many countries around the world. Low participation and lack of opportunities in the field of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is often cited as one of main barriers to a fulfilling education for girls. Faced with this situation, UNICEF Bolivia has started several new programmes throughout 2019 to reduce the gender gap in these areas, ensuring that girls and young people can develop the skills they need for the world of tomorrow.
Irene is 14 years old and in grade 7 – which in Uganda, where she lives, is unusual for girls her age. UNICEF supported programs in Uganda are helping to ensure that Irene and girls like her are able to stay in school longer, sparking positive change in the community.
In 2014, the world witnessed the abduction of more than 276 school girls taken from their school in the town of Chibok, in northeastern Nigeria, triggering a massive solidarity movement on social media with celebrities calling on the governments of the world to act. We wanted to bring them back, to live their childhood as any child - any girl - should be entitled to. Yet, more than five years later, more than 100 of the “Chibok girls” are still missing. Worse, 110 more girls were abducted, and five lost their lives, in February 2018 in Dapchi, northeast Nigeria.
In Shahrak e Mahajereen, a mountainous village in Afghanistan’s central highlands, 28-year old Suraya is passionate about transforming the lives of illiterate girls and women.
