On the first International Day of the Girl, charity Plan is calling upon nations to urgently prioritise quality education for girls to tackle global poverty.
Today Plan launches the 'Because I am a Girl' campaign to help four million girls living in poverty worldwide, including those who have been denied a right to education due to child marriage, violence and discrimination.
Their 'Learning for Life' report found many girls are still dropping out before reaching secondary level and in many countries girls' quality of education remains poor.
Plan International CEO Nigel Chapman said: 'It is indefensible that globally so many girls are still denied the right to education.'
'This absence from school is not only unjust but is an enormous waste of potential which has a tragic and long-lasting impact upon the lives of so many girls and should no longer be tolerated. It is also bad economics.
'Our work has shown that supporting girls’ education is one of the single best investments we can make to help them escape the cycle of poverty.'
In London the day was marked with a takeover of the London Eye and talks from speakers including Sarah Brown, the wife of former prime minister Gordon Brown.
Plan have asked for fundraising for girls' education to be increased and are aiming to end child marriage (as covered in the October issue of Marie Claire).
You can sign up to a Facebook app to raise one million 'hands' in support of the plans here.
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On first ever International Day of the Girl charity says education will beat poverty
By Natasha Wynarczyk - Thursday 11 October 2012
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