Rosemary McCarney
History—and hope—is replete with catalytic moments, events like Nelson Mandela’s release from prison or Terry Fox’s cross-Canada run. Another such moment occurred on July 12, when a courageous young woman celebrated her 16th birthday at the podium of the United Nations General Assembly. Addressing some 500 youth delegates from around the world at the first-ever youth takeover of the UN, Malala Yousafzai, who last year survived a savage Taliban shooting in Pakistan for daring to go to school (and for speaking out for the rights of other girls to go to school), threw down the gauntlet for world leaders ahead of meetings they will hold at the UN in September of this year.
News reports of her courageous “Malala Day” speech understandably focused on her defiance of the Taliban and her calls for compassion. But most missed several other important elements of her eloquent remarks. First, she said the day has passed when women ask men to stand up for their rights. “This time we will do it by ourselves,” she said.
Then she warned world leaders that any peace deal with the Taliban or others that fails to protect women and children’s rights is “unacceptable.” And, lastly, she called upon all governments to ensure free compulsory education for every child all over the world.
Achieving universal primary education by 2015 is one of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Indeed, substantial progress has been made in attaining this particular goal. According to the latest UN estimates, for 2011, the number of children out of school declined by one-half over the previous decade. But that means some 57 million children are still going without a primary education.
We clearly have made a lot of headway in getting more young people into classrooms, but that progress has been relatively straightforward. Getting children still left outside into schools is particularly challenging because most live in conflict zones, or are ethnic minorities or are disabled—or a combination of the above. Now is the time for governments to show leadership and demonstrate heavy lifting if we are to realize the overall goal.
High on the agenda for the General Assembly in September is a resolution developed and passed by the youth delegates on Malala Day.
Entitled, The Education We Want, the resolution reminds governments, and all other responsible bodies, of their responsibility to “get every child in school.”
The youth resolution goes on to say that the current MDG for primary education is insufficient, even if it is met, and calls for nine years of education for every child, a particularly critical reform for millions of girls.
At Plan, where children’s rights, especially girls’ rights, are a top priority, we have for some time advocated this nine-year minimum to break cycles of poverty and gender discrimination. (The two are, of course, directly related.) Currently, some 66 million girls worldwide do not attend primary and secondary schools. More than half are between the critical ages of 11 and 15. At the same time, we know that about one out of every seven girls is married by the age of 15. At that rate, we face the likelihood of 100 million child brides over the next decade.
Clearly, such a prospect inhibits any productive future for these girls and the societies they live in. But if children, especially girls, stay in school until at least age 15, they can build on the basic literacy and numeracy skills taught in primary school that are, on their own, insufficient to cope with adult economic realities. As well, with more time in school they will learn life skills, including an appreciation of their basic rights and how to assert them.
For girls, those extra years in school take them through puberty, a time when many confront forced marriages or are shunted away from the classroom to permanent housework and other menial chores. With additional schooling, these girls are more likely to stay healthy, become independent and become a force for social change. They are also more inclined to marry later and have children who are more likely to survive.
Global leaders are now beginning to consider new initiatives after the MDG-era ends in 2015. Some are advocating for greater attention to the environment, others on further reducing trade barriers. Discussion on these goals and issues are expected to surface at the September UN meeting. But while these are noble goals, they must not push aside our commitment to meaningful universal education for all children. They deserve nothing less.
Turning over the General Assembly to young people for a day recognizes that youth have become a legitimate player on the world stage. In fact, we are living in a time of the youth bulge, with more young people on the planet than ever before, about one billion between the ages of 15 and 24 and the same number below 15. Youth are demanding to be heard—as is their right. It is our job to listen.
Malala Day has passed, but the call to action on education for all children remains and must be addressed.
Rosemary McCarney is President and CEO of Plan Canada.
