News

August 2011:

Due to the food crisis in East Africa, AGEF is introducting a school breakfast program. More details will follow...

A.G.E.F.

African Girls Education Fund

Educated Girls Make Right Choices

“...women sustain the entire continent of Africa, and should have a definitive role in every single aspect of social, economic, political, civil, and cultural life, from peace keeping to agriculture to trade to AIDS.” Stephen Lewis

AGEF believes that educated women are needed to meet the challenges Africa faces in the twenty first century. African cultures too often privilege men and deprive women of education, the right to land inheritance, and opportunities to assume positions of community leadership. Under these circumstances, women are usually unaware of their rights, which can make them suffer from low self-esteem and remain easily manipulated. In spite of this, women remain pillars of their family and community as mothers, caregivers and farmers. Education will help create and sustain a positive environment for women, will transform public perceptions about HIV/AIDS and encourage greater community acceptance of women in leadership roles. The importance of girls empowerment and education for sustainable development and HIV/AIDS prevention is widely recognized. The Millenium Development Goals noted the importance of promoting gender equality; in particular, they called for the elimination of gender disparities in access to all levels of education. Stephen Lewis, in his 2005 Massey Lectures, devoted an entire lecture to the importance of women in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa. The United Nations has recognized the need to promote girls access to education, creating the United Nations Girls Education Initiative (UNGEI) in 2000. AGEF supports universal and free secondary education as well as work to expand educational infrastructure for girls in Africa. In the meantime, however, we believe that providing school fees for girls in need will complement work by other organizations to empower girls in Africa.

AGEF's Charity # 81680 7291 RR0001