Why Invest in Women & Girls?
FUTURES is committed to advancing policies, strategies and programs which would strengthen girls and women and allow them to develop, thrive, and contribute to the building of flourishing communities. In some countries fewer than 10 percent of teenage girls complete secondary school education.
“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” -Frederick Douglass
Young girls across the globe are forced into adult roles and deprived of their basic rights. They are regularly exposed to labor exploitation, trafficking, isolation associated with early marriage, mortality or morbidity as a result of female genital mutilation (FGM), early pregnancy and childbirth-related complications, and sexual abuse and violence.
There are close to 600 million girls aged 10 to 19 in the world. Approximately 62 million of these girls are not in school.
Every one of these obstacles deprives these girls of a future where they can be safe, healthy, and capable of contributing to the betterment of themselves and their communities. Improving the lives of girls should be the cornerstone of any initiative that aims to build a sustainable future. In an effort to help advance the status of the girl child, FUTURES is an active participant in two important coalitions, Coalition for Adolescent Girls, and Girls Not Brides. Through the collective consultations and collaborations of these coalitions FUTURES supports and advances numerous initiatives aimed at advancing the status of the girl child and removing the obstacles that hinder her development and contributions. Some of the initiatives include:
- Instituting a ‘Whole of Girl’ Strategy that would guide foreign policy and assistance
- Advancing guiding principles and promoting effective programs that would help end Child, Early and Forced Marriage
- Supporting and collaborating with government initiatives such as Let Girls Learn designed to make quality education accessible to girls throughout the world
