All around the world, young girls receive far fewer educational opportunities than boys. As statistically evident, when men make enough money to move from their village to a larger city, they will pack their bags, leave their families, and go. However, when women are able to make money, they almost always choose to stay in their hometown with their families. When relatively wealthy families stay in their village rather than move to a more populated city, they develop the community and better the lives of everybody in the village. A community with wealthier families may begin to develop a better educational plan for the young children, a more stable source of food and water, and safer infrastructure. Additionally, when more women are educated, the size of families often decreases. A major issue in many developing communities is that men and women have more children than they can financially support. For many large families, acquiring just the basic necessities for survival is a daily struggle. Families in which both parents have received an education are often significantly smaller and therefore significantly fewer resources must be devoted to basic survival. More money can be devoted to developing the community and subsequently a better quality of life. Inadequate educational opportunities for women is a global issue, and the previously mentioned effects of poor education for women can be found all over the world. Not only does this issue place women all over the world at a disadvantage, but educating women has countless positive effects in terms of community development.

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            Women’s education is a monumental issue, and because it is extremely widespread, it is inherently difficult to address. However, the issue must be addressed as quickly as possible so that millions of lives can be bettered. To accomplish this goal, we must work with individual communities and educators within the communities and help them to understand the benefits that will come with equal education. If people in areas where women’s education is an issue understand the positive effects that come with increased education for women, they are much more likely to take action. However, even if a community wants to increase women’s education, the resources that must be devoted to making this a reality can often prove too difficult for a community. WIA provides communities with the resources to make educating women a possibility. 

 

           WIA is currently in contact with the principal of a BuildOn school in rural Haiti, and we are working for a plan of sustainability and construction of solar panels. Currently, school can only be in session when there is sun. This makes it difficult for many girls to attend the school as education is often thought of as secondary to chores. If solar panels can be added to schools, girls can do their chores during the day and still have time to attend school in the afternoon even after the sun sets. To ensure that the solar panels will be sustainable, we are working with the village to write an action plan, detailing teacher availability and outlining programs.