This week, we’ve been at the Global Partnership for Education replenishment in Dakar, Senegal, to tell world leaders that all #GirlsCount, and that ALL girls should have the right to a decent education.
Last year with your help we launched a big campaign to fight the fact that over 130 million girls are out of school around the world. If these out-of-school girls formed a country, it would be the 10th largest in the world.
More than 750,000 of you signed our petition telling world leaders that it’s time to end this global crisis, and 30,000 of you sang, danced, painted, postered and shouted from the rooftops to tell the world that all #GirlsCount!
Your Girls Count videos were screened to leaders EVERYWHERE at the replenishment summit. Non-stop for 12 hours. And they heard your voices loud and clear.
Hey @ONECampaign campaigners!! I heard you loud and clear! Education IS a priority and it's true…. #GirlsCount
Canada pledged double the amount and is committed to make sure boys and girls get the quality education they deserve!
Keep raising your voices. #FundEducation pic.twitter.com/rCP8bVDXsi
— Marie-Claude Bibeau (@mclaudebibeau) February 2, 2018
How do we know? Because they increased their funding to the Global Partnership for Education. This is real progress!
We also had three brilliant ONE members on the ground in Dakar, who were chosen by the GPE to form part of a Youth Delegation. They wrote a statement to world leaders and held them to account on their pledges at the replenishment!
So excited to be at @GPforEducation as part of the youth delegation! I’m here to let world leaders know why ALL #GirlsCount. pic.twitter.com/Z666srn9CT
— Pierre Jothy (@Pi_erreJTY) February 1, 2018
They even got the chance to meet summit hosts French President Emmanuel Macron and Senegalese President Macky Sall and pass on your message directly.
Les jeunes Ambassadeurs de ONE ont eu l’honneur de rencontrer @EmmanuelMacron et @Macky_Sall lors de la conférence @GPforEducation pour rappeler l’importance de l’accès des filles à l’éducation #FundEducation #girlscount pic.twitter.com/dwiBmf1wxo
— ONE en France (@ONE_Fr) February 2, 2018
Although we didn’t get the full funding we wanted to see at the replenishment, your voice made a HUGE difference. Together we’ve put girls’ education in the spotlight and seen a massive shift in global support.
This incredible funding will go towards enabling schools to hire teachers, purchase textbooks, improve classrooms, deliver better quality educations and, most importantly, give children the opportunity to learn.
Now, we must keep fighting until every girl, everywhere, is guaranteed a good education and the chance to change the world.
