1. Gender and Poverty Webinar Thursday February 9, 2012 Speaker: Amboka Wameyo, World Vision Canada

2. Introductions Bruce Peninsula District School Lion’s Head, Ontario C.W. Jefferys Collegiate Toronto, Ontario Nanaimo District Secondary Nanaimo, British Columbia Amboka Wameyo, World Vision Tanzania/Kenya

5. What Happens When Girls Don’t Get a Chance? Approx 25% of girls in developing countries are not in school. In 2009 around 35 million girls were out of school compared to 31 million boys. Almost ½ of the world’s out of school girls are in Sub-Saharan Africa. Around ¼ are in South Asia. One girl in 7 in developing countries marries by age fifteen. 38 % marry by age 18. 25 to 50% of girls in developing countries are mothers before age 18. Pregnancy is the leading cause of death among girls aged 15 to 19 worldwide. 75% of HIV-infected youth in Africa are girls. Sources: The Mother and Child Health and Education Trust website The World Bank: Girl’s Education Center for Gender Equity: “Keeping The Promise : Five Benefits of Girls’ Secondary EducationCenter for Gender Equity: “Keeping The Promise : Five Benefits of Girls’ Secondary Education” (May Rihani, 2006)

6. What Happens When We Invest in Girls Education? When a girl in the developing world receives 7+ years of education, she marries 4 years later, and has 2.2 fewer children. An extra year of primary school boosts a girl’s eventual wages by 10-20 %, an extra year of secondary school by 15-25 %. When you educate a girl you educate her family as well. 90 % of income earned by women and girls is invested back into their families, compared to 30-40 % for men. Five Main Benefits of Providing Secondary Education for Girls 1. Increased primary school enrollment and completion. 2. Social benefits such as higher economic growth, better health care and education. 3. Adult women have healthier children. 4. Prevention strategy against HIV and AIDS. 5. A tool for poverty alleviation.

8. Grace (5 years old) Daniel (5 years old) Value of girls (cultural preference) Gender selection Terms defined: gender equality and gender based discrimination

9. Grace (10 years old) Daniel (10 years old) Domestic roles/chores Access to primary education (parity at enrolment and in primary school)

10. Questions

11. Grace (teen) Daniel (teen) Early forced marriage/poverty Circumcision and initiation into adulthood (clear gender roles) Conflict Secondary Education/Employment “Choice” vs. Necessity Rural vs. Urban Participation and voice

12. Grace (adult) Daniel (adult) Child birth (number, spacing, health) effects of HIV and AIDS Labour/employment Differentiation of roles (women’s responsibilities for food security, children’s health, water, etc.) Inheritance of land and family wealth Voice and agency (community, political power)

13. Questions

14. World Vision Interventions and Gender Programming Awareness campaigns for gender equality Changing cultural attitudes and perceptions of women Child and maternal health programs Early marriage interventions (attitudes and laws) Access to education: formal and non-formal Advocacy with communities and governments (child parliaments)

15. Questions

16. Further Resources: World Vision CONNECT Resources: The Girl Factor www.worldvision.ca/connect/teachers Because I am a Girl: Plan Canada campaign www.becauseiamagirl.ca World Bank: Girl’s Education website www.worldbank.org/education/girls The Female Factor: New York Times series http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/world/series/the_female_factor/index.html

17. Thank You! Join our next Live Webinar Child Protection in Haiti, Monday March 5, 12 noon to 1 p.m. (EDT) with Carleen McGuinty, WVC Child Protection Specialist Contact Nancy Del Col and Hoa Truong-White, WVC Global Education Team Global_ed@worldvision.ca