All children deserve a good education. But because poverty is sexist, 130 million girls across the world are denied this basic right. That’s why ONE is organizing people across the country and around the world to help ensure that girls and women are at the heart of our poverty-fighting strategy by promoting their access to education.
Education is vital for moving out of poverty. Those 130 million girls have the potential to cure diseases or end wars, invent brilliant technology or revolutionize an industry… or simply access opportunity. When girls get an education, they are less likely to become child brides, less likely to contract HIV, and they have greater economic opportunities for the rest of their lives — which is good for everyone.
Join us on calling on world leaders to increase the number of girls in school by millions. It’s an ambitious goal, but it’s one the world needs to strive to reach.
A letter to leaders—
You couldn’t be where you are today without a good education.
But because poverty is sexist, 130 million girls across the world are denied this basic right. Indeed, if the number of girls out of school formed a country, it would be the tenth largest on the planet – bigger than Japan or Germany.
All children deserve a good education, but in the poorest countries girls are denied it more often than boys. Education is vital for moving out of poverty. Every additional year of school that a girl completes increases her future earnings, which is good for her family, her community and her country.
We cannot afford to squander the potential of 130 million girls to cure diseases or end wars, invent brilliant technology or revolutionize an industry… or simply to access opportunity.
We are coming together and uniting across our divides to get every girl into school and to make sure she gets a quality education once she’s there.
But we need you to do the same.
Your education helped you to get where you are today – and it is in your power to help millions of girls to get theirs. Please act now, with the right policies and the necessary funds.
Show us that politics can work for the people – starting with the people who need it most.
This letter has already been signed by influential figures across a number of fields: business, faith, technology, activism, entertainment, and more. They come from different backgrounds and hold different views, but they all agreed that this issue is vitally important. We sincerely thank each one of them for lending their influence to getting girls around the world the education they deserve:
This letter has already been signed by influential figures across a number of fields: business, faith, technology, activism, entertainment, and more. They come from different backgrounds and hold different views, but they all agreed that this issue is vitally important. We sincerely thank each one of them for lending their influence to getting girls around the world the education they deserve:
| Afrikan Boy, grime artist | Ali Hewson, founder, Edun and Nude |
| Alice Albright, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Partnership for Education’s Secretariat | Alice Callahan Thompson, actress and activist |
| Aliko Dangote, President/Chief Executive of the Dangote Group and Chairman of the Dangote Foundation | Alyse Nelson, President and CEO, Vital Voices Global Partnership |
| Amena Brown, spoken word artist | Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations |
| Andrew Zimmern, chef and television personality | Angelique Kidjo, Grammy Award-winning artist and activist |
| Anna Loos, actress | Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, CEO, Plan International |
| Anne Wizorek, author and activist | Ariana Grande, performer |
| Arianna Huffington, Co-founder and former editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post | Asa, singer |
| Ashley Graham, model | Ashley Judd, actor and activist |
| Aziz Ansari, actor, comedian, author | Banky W, singer |
| Baroness Verma, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development, and ministerial champion for tackling violence against women and girls overseas and political champion for women’s rights | Blake Lively, actor |
| Bob Geldof, activist and musician | Bono, lead singer of U2 and co-founder of ONE and (RED) |
| Bumi Thomas, singer-songwriter | Carey Lowell, artist and actor |
| Carolin Kebekus, comedian | Caryl Stern, President/CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF |
| Cathy Newman, presenter for Channel Four News, blogger for the Telegraph | Charlize Theron, actor and founder of Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project |
| Christian Ulmen, actor, producer, director, writer | Christina Lamb, Sunday Times Chief Foreign Correspondent and author |
| Christy Turlington-Burns, model, philanthropist, and founder of Every Mother Counts | Cindi Leive, Editor-in-Chief at Glamour |
| Collien Ulmen-Fernandes, TV host, actress, writer | Connie Britton, actor and activist |
| Culcha Candela | Dan Haseltine, Blood:Water co-founder |
| Danai Gurira, actor and award-winning playwright | David Burtka, actor, chef |
| David Oyelowo, actor | Hon. Desmond Elliot, politician and former actor |
| Diamond, singer | Dunja Hayali, host of “Morgen Magazin” |
| Ertharin Cousin, Executive Director at World Food Programme | Eve Hewson, actress |
| George Stroumboulopoulos, TV and radio personality | Guido Schmidt-Traub, Executive Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. |
| Gwen Stefani, performer | Hans Sarpei, former footballer |
| Helen Clark, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme | Helene Gayle, CEO, McKinsey Social Initiative |
| Helle Thorning-Schmidt, CEO, Save the Children International | HHP, rapper |
| Hugh Evans, CEO, Global Citizen | Isa Grütering, founder of “Hauptstadtmutti” |
| Isla Fisher, actor | Jane Mosbacher Morris, founder and CEO of TO THE MARKET |
| Jessica Oyelowo, actor | Jessica Sipos, actor |
| Joe Cerrell, Managing Director, Global Policy & Advocacy, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation | John Green, author and YouTuber |
| Jordan Hewson, founder and CEO of Speakable | Judith Sephuma, singer |
| Julia Gillard, Chair of the Board of Directors at the Global Partnership for Education, and former PM of Australia | Julia Roberts, actor and producer |
| Karen Kornbluh, Executive Vice President, Nielsen | Karen Walrond, NY Times best-selling author |
| Kathy Calvin, President and CEO, UN Foundation | Katja Iversen, CEO, Women Deliver |
| Kevin Sheekey, Global Head of Communications, Government Relations and Marketing for Bloomberg L.P. | Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, actor |
| Lady Gaga | Larry Summers, Harvard professor and former United States Treasury Secretary |
| Laura Ling, journalist and host at Seeker Network | Lauren Bush Lauren, CEO and founder of FEED Projects |
| Lena, singer | Lena Gercke, model, TV host |
| Leymah Gbowee, Liberian Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist | Luvvie Ajayi, writer and Digital Strategist and Executive Director, The Red Pump |
| Mabel van Oranje, initiator and Chair of Girls Not Brides | Majid Michel, actor |
| Maria Russo, Executive Director, Humanity Unified International | Marian Salzman, CEO, Havas PR |
| Matt Maher, contemporary Christian artist | Meghan Markle, actor and activist |
| Michael Gerson, Senior Fellow at ONE | Michael W. Smith, contemporary Christian artist |
| Michele Sullivan, President, Caterpillar Foundation | Montel Williams, TV personality |
| Moriah Peters, singer-songwriter | Morton H. Halperin, Senior Advisor, Open Society Foundations |
| Mpule Kwelagobe, Africa Policy Advisory Board and Miss Universe 1999 | Muntu Valdo, musician |
| Nancy Sumari, former Miss Tanzania and Miss World Africa 2005 | Natalie Portman, actor |
| Neil Patrick Harris, actor | Oby Ezekwesili, convener, Bring Back Our Girls |
| Patrick McGorry, Executive Director, Orygen | Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever |
| Rachel Rudwall, explorer and television producer | Rashida Jones, actor |
| Robin Wright, actor | Romy Chevallier, Senior Research, Governance of Africa’s Resources Programme |
| Ryan Reynolds, actor | Sacha Baron Cohen, actor |
| Sally Dura, gender activist | Rev. Sammy Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference |
| Sara Nuru, model | Sarah Brown, Executive Chair of the Global Business Coalition for Education and co-founder of A World at School |
| Sarah Wiener, chef and activist | Selmor Mtukudzi, singer |
| Sheryl Sandberg, COO, Facebook | Sheryl WuDunn, co-author, “A Path Appears” and “Half the Sky” |
| Shonda Rhimes, creator and CEO, Shondaland | Sibylle Berg, writer and columnist, “Der Spiegel” |
| Steve Taylor, singer-songwriter | Susan A. Buffett, Chairwoman, The Sherwood Foundation and the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation |
| Susan Markham, former USAID Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment | Susan Wojcicki, CEO, YouTube |
| Tanya Burr, fashion and beauty vlogger | Terri Winston, founder and Executive Director, Women’s Audio Mission |
| Tim Costello, former CEO of World Vision Australia | Tina Brown, founder and CEO of Tina Brown Live Media |
| Tom Brady, quarterback of the New England Patriots | Toolz, radio presenter |
| Tracee Ellis Ross, actor, producer, host | Vanessa Mdee, singer |
| Victoria Kimani, singer | Waje, singer |
| Yemi Alade, singer | Vincent Kompany, footballer |
… And now it’s your turn. It’s in your power RIGHT NOW to help girls across the globe get access to an education in the next four years. If you care, ACT. Add your name to our letter, and we’ll deliver it in-person to leaders all around the world on International Women’s Day, March 8.
