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International Women’s Day: helping girls to fulfil their potential

Girls' education, International Women's Day

The statistics are damning and depressing.听Half a billion women still cannot read and 62 million girls around the world are not in primary or secondary school.

As the latest United Nations data shows国产视频

But girls and women in countries across the globe are working tirelessly to change that 国产视频 backed by millions of men who are also committed to ensuring equal gender rights and opportunities.

March 8 is International Women国产视频檚 Day and this year国产视频檚 theme is 国产视频淧lanet 50-50 by 2030国产视频. That means ensuring equality in education, economic opportunity and human rights as laid out in the 15-year Sustainable Development Goals agreed by world leaders.

Here we国产视频檒l bring you the best of education-related #IWD events, social media shares and pictures. Last year we ran a quiz about International Women国产视频檚 Day 国产视频 you can still test your knowledge here and learn more about the day and why girls are still struggling to get into school.

REWRITING THE CODE FOR GIRLS

国产视频 国产视频 the campaigning charity behind A World at School 国产视频 is challenging embedded values that hold girls back by launching the #RewritingTheCode campaign.

Kenyan schoolgirl in Kibera with #RewritingTheCode poster Picture: 国产视频/Adriane Ohanesian

Celebrities, business leaders, influencers, campaigners and youth from all over the world are supporting the #RewritingTheCode campaign with one simple social action.

Find out how you can add your voice to the #RewritingTheCode campaign.

Here is Laura Carmichael 国产视频 star of the hit British TV series Downtown Abbey 国产视频 tweeting her support.

Bonnie Wright, best known for playing Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter film series, has a message for girls too.

And here国产视频檚 American film-maker Steve Nguyen, who made the inspiring RISE #UpForSchool video for A World at School last year.

CODE CLUBS FOR GIRLS

Technology can empower girls 国产视频 so 国产视频 is giving them the chance to learn vital technology skills in a safe space through an innovative pilot project.

Its Code Clubs will benefit between 600 and 700 females aged five to 24 in Kenya, Uganda and Senegal. The project will expand to three more countries later this year.

Students at the first 国产视频 Code Club in Kibera, Kenya Picture: 国产视频/Adriane Ohanesian

Code Clubs are low-cost, sustainable and scaleable safe spaces where girls can build, learn and create through technology, creativity and coding.听Learn more about them here.

Find out how the Code Clubs were launched at a Facebook event in London to mark International Women国产视频檚 Day.

OPRAH LEADS STARS国产视频 CALL FOR JUSTICE

American TV host Oprah Winfey and many other celebrities have written an open letter on the eve of International Women国产视频檚 Day, urging world leaders to put girls at the heart of anti-poverty efforts.

Oprah at the launch of her Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa in 2014

As a new report by campaigning and advocacy organisation ONE titled Poverty is Sexist听revealed Niger is the toughest country to be a girl, she听asked the international community to improve girls国产视频 and women国产视频檚 access to education, justice and technology and help them fight HIV and malnutrition.

Among others who signed were boxing legend Muhammad Ali singers Elton John and Bono and film stars Meryl Streep, Charlize Theron and Robert Redford.

SEARCH FOR AN #IWD2016 EVENT

Want to know what other events are being held to mark this special day? The official International Women国产视频檚 Day website has the answer.

EDUCATION = INDEPENDENCE

国产视频淚n South Sudan, many parents say 国产视频榶ou should get married 国产视频 don国产视频檛 waste time at school.国产视频 I wanted to teach them that having an education meant independence and strength.国产视频

Dimanche, a World Food Programme Field Monitoring Assistant, tells about her work with women traumatised by the conflict.

Click on the link above to read more听about how she is helping to build a generation of educated women.

SHOUT IT LOUD, SHOUT IT PROUD

Sarah Brown, President of 国产视频, is one of 16 women asked by Marie Claire magazine why we should be shouting about #IWD.

Talking about the launch of Code Clubs in Africa, Sarah says: 国产视频湵醭俟悠禉s vital that we acknowledge and change the embedded values that hold girls back whether in the heart of the UK or the most remote part of Africa or the Syrian refugee camps.国产视频

Read what the 16 women have to say here.

ONE DAY I国产视频橪L BE国产视频

The famous Google Doodle that appears on the search page is focused on International Women国产视频檚 Day for March 8.

Education campaigner Malala Yousafzai delivers part of the last line of the film, which is: 国产视频淥ne day we will see every girl in school.国产视频

TOILETS MUST NOT BE TABOO

We mustn国产视频檛 forget that it国产视频檚 not just about getting girls into school. 滨迟国产视频檚 also about making sure they stay there by providing them the facilities they need 国产视频 including safe, separate toilets and washing facilities.

Alice Namonje, 38, a teacher at Lubunda primary school in Zambia says:听国产视频淕irls should not stay at home because of menstruating. We are breaking the silence, because menstruation is natural.国产视频

UNESCO LAUNCHES EDUCATION PRIZE

The United Nations agency UNESCO has unveiled a new prize for girls国产视频 and women国产视频檚 education to mark International Women国产视频檚 Day.

Suppported by the Chinese government, the prize will award $50,000 each to two winning individuals, groups or organisations who make execptional contributions to educating females.

Learn more about the prize here.

SHE IS THE ONE

#SheIsInspiration is the hashtag being used to encourage people to share their thoughts on which females are their role models.

THE WRITE STUFF

This is one of our favourite videos today 国产视频 about the power of literacy to change people国产视频檚 lives.

It pays tribute to many female writers, including Harry Potter author JK Rowling and Mariama Ba, the Senagalese femanist who highlighted gender inequality in her work.

The video asks people to sign the Project Literacy petition, which will be presented to the United Nations on International Literacy Day in September. Find out more here.

SINGING FOR SUCCESS

And here国产视频檚 another really powerful video released for International Women国产视频檚 Day 国产视频 this time produced by Plan International and featuring a girls国产视频 choir in Uganda who sing about the empowerment which education gives to females.

Girl Power was also written by the singers, who are part of a 100-member girls国产视频 club at the secondary school. They work together to support each other through school and also spread the message of girls国产视频 education.

CALL TO CHANGE THE LAWS

Global Citizen and CHIME FOR CHANGE launched a global campaign on International Women国产视频檚 Day 国产视频 called #LevelTheLaw 国产视频 which urges world leaders to change discriminatory laws that hold girls and women back.

Working with a range of partners on specific laws that need to be changed, the immediate priorities are:

  • Pakistan, where new laws to criminalise honour killings are on the brink of being passed
  • Tanzania, where marriage for girls is legal at age 15 with parental consent
  • Iraq, where rape against the Yazidi people needs to be considered a war crime and brought to the International Criminal Court

Learn more about the campaign here.

EVERY GIRL国产视频橲 RIGHT

And here国产视频檚 something to remind us exactly why every girl in the world deserves a quality education.

Around the world, 65 million girls are not in school. #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2016
Posted by HuffPost Women on听Tuesday, 8 March 2016

The photos were published by Huffington Post on #IWD to celebrate the day and give us a glimpse into the lives of girls across the globe.

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