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Help Keep
Girls in School

UNICEF USA is committed to supporting action by the U.S. government to help protect girls around the world from child labor and early marriage and to ensure equal opportunities to education. 

In many countries, girls are more likely than boys to perform household chores, such as fetching water. Daughters are more likely than sons to act as caregivers for sick family members and younger siblings.

These and other factors keep many girls from long-term, quality education.

The COVID-19 pandemic aggravated the situation, threatening to roll back decades of progress toward helping girls attain this basic human right. At its most dire, the pandemic forced 1.6 billion children out of school — and put over 10 million girls at risk of dropping out of school for good — endangering their health and their futures.

When schools closed, child labor and early marriage rates increased. It is very difficult for girls who are sent to work or married off to get back to learning. 

Severe drought and chronic food crisis in the Horn of Africa is having a similar impact on girls' education in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia.

Time to harness the power of the U.S. government to help clear barriers that keep girls around the world from getting educated

UNICEF USA advocated in support of the bipartisan Keeping Girls in School Act Act (H.R.4134 / S.2276), a bill designed to harness the power of the U.S. Government to address the many barriers to education that girls face, through smart investments and coordination between government agencies.

While the bill did not pass the 117th Congress, it made great progress. We will continue advocating for legislation that prioritizes education and equal opportunities for girls around the globe.