Disrespect and discrimination towards women is a part of everyday life in many countries and cultures. This topic will be dealt with as part of International Women's Day 2007. For many women, it cannot be assumed that they can live independently and actively participate in society, economics or politics. One of the main reasons why women are at such a disadvantage is that they do not have equal rights in terms of education. SOS Children's Villages stands up for better education opportunities for girls and women across the world and helps them enjoy their right to an education with schools and education programmes.
"In many countries, girls are exploited, abused and discriminated against purely because they are girls," explains Richard Pichler, Secretary General of SOS-Kinderdorf International, about the global effort to help children in need. There is no country where girls and women have the same opportunities as men.
Women across the world own around 1% of farmland. And 75% of those who are poor are women. Women must receive an education to improve their status in society. The Member States of the United Nations also came to this conclusion in September 2000 when they set a target for the new millennium that just as many girls as boys would be educated by 2005. We must now recognise the fact that nothing has actually changed: a child without any form of education is in all probability still going to be a girl, not a boy. Across the world there are twice as many women as men, who can neither read nor write.
Girl from SOS Hermann Gmeiner School Bakoteh in the Gambia - Photo: SOS Archives
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24,000 girls in 450 SOS Children's Villages worldwide have equal opportunities to education
450 SOS Children's Villages are trying to ensure that almost 24,000 girls receive the same education opportunities as boys. Moreover, 80,000 children and young people across the world are being taught in 190 SOS Hermann Gmeiner Schools. Richard Pichler is particularly proud of the fact that the proportions of girls and boys are almost the same: "47% of the pupils are girls. And that is the case even though in many regions girls are not necessarily sent to school as a matter of course. Many stay at home because they have to help to run the house or help with the farm, or because their parents can only pay or sometimes only want to pay for their sons to go to school."
The traditional role of the women is that of a wife, mother and housewife. As soon as she falls out of this mould because she has her own plans, is single or widowed, she can only manage to find work and remain healthy if she has received an education. In many countries, women need a lot of courage and strength if they want to go against traditions in society and role models and receive vocational training and take control of their own lives. SOS Children's Villages equips 4,300 of these courageous women for an independent life in vocational training centres across the world.
Education is a prerequisite for self-confidence
Education and training is usually directly associated with opportunities on the labour market. But regarding women it is in many cases a prerequisite for something a lot more fundamental: self-confidence. Only a women with self esteem is ready for change and is in a position to fight for her dreams and ideals. This is precisely where SOS Children's Villages' family-strengthening programmes come in, specifically aimed at women. "We help and encourage women to organise themselves, to exchange ideas and opinions and obtain further training", explains Isabel Poma, the director of the SOS Social Centre in El Alto, Bolivia. It is only when they exchange ideas and opinions with others that the women begin to believe that they can change their lives.
Women at their own shop in Sucre, Bolivia - Photo: SOS Archives
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Self-confident and well-educated women have healthier children
There is no doubt that education and equal rights for women also have an influence on the wellbeing of their children. Self confident and educated women have healthier children and they support their children in their education and finding their way in life. Manoj Dash is the project director of SOS Children's Villages India's mother strengthening programme, which specifically targets single mothers: "An adult woman with children who has no husband or education has a hard time in India's patriarchal society. Single mothers often do not mange to register their children officially, which means that they and their children loose any right that they have to support from the state or to a state education." SOS Children's Villages tries to integrate these women and their children back into society: training programmes enable the women to find a way into work, learning centres prepare children who have never been to school so that they can enter into the state school system and the families are given support and explanations when dealing with the authorities, which helps them to get back into the state system.
Not only words, but also action on International Women's Day
International Women's Day on 8 March is one of the few political events which is completely dedicated to women. International Women's Day will only be a success if the many words that are said about this day are actually put into practice to improve women's chances of gaining an education, self-determination and social respect.