On 24 January 2022, we celebrate the fourth International Day of Education.
Today, 258 million children and youth still do not attend school; 617 million children and adolescents cannot read and do basic maths; less than 40% of girls in sub-Saharan Africa complete lower secondary school and some four million children and youth refugees are out of school. Their right to education is being violated and it is unacceptable. Without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all, countries will not succeed in achieving gender equality and breaking the cycle of poverty that is leaving millions of children, youth and adults behind.
One of the most important ways to combat this inequality is to ensure fair and uninterrupted access to education. The projects run by Power Of Pads ensure that girls and young women in some of the poorest communities in Kenya receive affordable and good quality menstrual hygiene products so that they can consistently attend school. This in turns ensures that they will not miss out on classes, skills and opportunities from persistent and repeated absences. By enabling girls to make the most of the education available to them, we can start to help bridge the gaps caused by inequity and exclusion that face the girls living in these challenging circumstances.