One of the Because I am a Girl Campaign’s main initiatives is to support Girl Friendly Education. But what exactly does it mean and how is it different from other education initiatives?

There are a number of unique factors that impact whether a girl is safe and supported at school, or even if she can go at all. For example, in many countries, girls’ responsibilities at home may mean that they have to miss several days of school per year, which puts them behind. Other girls may need to care for young children, or feel uncomfortable sharing latrines with male students.

A Girl Friendly School is one that tries to address these issues to make it easier for girls to attend school regularly. Plan supports Girl Friendly Schools by:

  • Building separate latrines for girls and boys,
  • Incorporating curriculum that supports different roles for girls and boys and encouraging non-traditional roles,
  • Training teachers in gender sensitivity, and
  • Implementing codes of conduct for teachers.

To learn more about Girl Friendly Education, check out these articles:

Read about Jessica Shepherd’s visit to Ghana, where she meets 12-year-old Abigail who is forced to miss her classes at primary school each week to sell fried fish door-to-door.

Read Latoya’s take on using sports to encourage girls’ education over at Jezebel.com

Read about one of Plan’s Girl Friendly Schools in Burkina Faso, where 73% of girls never finish primary school.