Boris Johnson States that Educating the Girl Child is the Key to Ending Poverty

153

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson propounded that it is his ‘fervent belief’ that improving the girl child’s education in the various developing countries of the world is the best way ‘to lift communities out of poverty’. The Covid pandemic has further derailed the educational trajectories of the girl child in most of the developing nations of the world. Even prior to the outbreak of this severe health crisis, millions of girls did not have access to educational facilities. Now, their prospects are bleaker than ever.

The Initiative

The Prime Minister was quoted saying, “It (education) can change the fortunes of not just individual women and girls, but communities and nations.” This statement was accompanied by an important announcement. Mr. Johnson announced MP Helen Grant as a special envoy for efforts to support education for the girl child. This will be the leading issue forwarded by the UK in the G7 summit –hosted by the UK this year- of major industrial countries.

Currently, 1.6 million children are facing the closure of schools due to the adverse effects of the pandemic. The prime minister said the international target of ensuring all girls can have 12 years of good quality education would be the “simplest and most transformative thing we can do” to tackle poverty and to “end the scourge of gender-based violence”.

Words from the Special Envoy

Helen Grant, selected as the special envoy for girl’s education stated, ”High quality female education empowers women, reduces poverty and unleashes economic growth.” she also spoke about her plans to effectively fulfill the duties of the position, stating “I will be making it my mission to encourage a more ambitious approach to girls’ education from the international community.”

Labour Party leader, Sir Keir Starmer stated that hosting the G7 would be a chance for the UK to act as a moral face for good in the world. He also suggested that the Conservatives were responsible for supporting the regressive endeavour that fostered decades of retreat in these domains. Talking about educational equality is now indispensable.