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The importance of girls’ education – Pan-Commonwealth Forum

Minister Gibb has been speaking today at the Pan-Commonwealth Forum in Edinburgh on the importance of girls’ education, outlining the work the UK is doing to support Commonwealth leaders’ commitment to 12 years of quality education for all girls by 2030: 

“Malala Yousafzai, aged just 22, has taught people all over the world valuable lessons – not least that gender and age should make no difference if you’ve got something important to say. She’s a wonderful example of why we should all make efforts to ensure all people have equal access to opportunities – and that starts with education.

“Which is why, this year, we were delighted to see that girls are taking more science A levels than boys for the first time, while the number of women accepted onto full-time STEM undergraduate courses in the UK increased by 28% between 2010 and 2018.

“Earlier this year Commonwealth ministers celebrated the launch of the first report of the Platform for Girls’ Education. This report provided vital insights into the barriers to girls’ education in Commonwealth countries, and the measures needed to dismantle them. 

“Working together internationally, educating girls can accelerate human development across generations and is a core pillar of advancing women’s rights and empowerment.

“We want to use the vast Commonwealth network to share best practice and innovate together, so that we can combine our efforts to overcome barriers and ensure that all girls have the best chances of success.”


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