School dropouts are increasing, surprisingly female adolescents (age 12-19) holds the major count in this crisis. In underdeveloped countries, female adolescents have higher chances of dropping out of school due to several factors:

• Poverty #SDG-1
• Lack of Awareness #SDG-3
• Female Stereotyping #SDG-5
• You name it

I came across a saying by Sir Brigham Young

“Educate a man, you educate a man. Educate a woman, you educate a generation”

Let us have a closer look together

Did you know in Niger, only 15% of females attain their high school degree, out of which only 5% attain their bachelor’s degree.

85% of female adolescents drop out from school. But, where would they go?

Well, those little girls, will either be categorized under forced employment or arranged marriages. When it comes to forced employment, 50% of females between the age of 7 to 19 work in agriculture or manufacturing without health/safety measures causing physical and mental damages because their body and mental state is not fully ready to process labor force.

In addition to that, 214 pregnancy out of 1,000 belong to female adolescents. Meaning, 20% of pregnancies are by underaged girls. Adolescent mothers (aged 10–19 years) face higher risks of eclampsia, puerperal endometritis and systemic infections, and babies of adolescent mothers face higher risks of low birth weight, preterm birth and severe neonatal condition. In fact, around 772 adolescent dies due to maternal birth complexities be it bleeding, miscarriage, infections, STDs, HIV, lack of awareness & absence of sanitary products.

Let us look together at the summary chart where we chose 2 countries: Canada VS Niger

In Niger:

• 50% of female adolescents are working
• 2.7% of female adolescents on average attained a high school degree
• 85% of female adolescents (cumulative) are considered dropouts
• 213 per 1,000 pregnancies belongs to adolescent females
• 773 is the average ratio of maternal deaths among female adolescents per 100,000

In Canada:

• 0% female adolescents in labor market
• 75% of female adolescents on average attained a high school degree
• 0.4% of female adolescents (cumulative) are considered dropouts
• 25 per 1,000 pregnancies belongs to adolescent females
• no records of female adolescents maternal deaths

More details can be found below:

What can be done?

Education is key, awareness is a must, and it will break down all human barriers against female adolescents.

• Government

  • Invest in public schools, enhance current ones and build new schools in rural areas to make education accessible to all.
  • State strict laws and regulations to penalize  and control child labor.
  • Fund NGO’s to create focus groups that visit rural or urban regions to educate the citizens about the risk factors of school dropouts and the importance of education for a better future.
  • Create awareness campaigns on the risks of early marriage and early pregnancy.

• Schools

  • Maintain accurate records and data to follow up with potential dropouts.
  • Educate parents as well on the risk factors and what happens after a girl drops out of the school
  • Create a welcoming environment for girls to talk about their insecurities and fears
  • Act as an agent of change and partner up with NGO’s to shed light on the importance of education and the risk factors of dropping out.

• World Bank & United Nations

  • Funding educational programs in underdeveloped/rural countries and monitor the implementation of those projects
  • Speak up and show explicit data and metrics to the world to show the alarming situations in those countries
  • Make an impact/difference in the lives of the vulnerable people, those who lack the basic necessities to survive.

• YOU

  After sharing these insightful metrics with you, are you

“Ready to make a difference?”

Click here to Apply!

#be_the_light #make_a_difference #an_agent_of_change