Why Gender Parity is Important
- Women currently represent nearly two thirds of the world’s illiterate.
- According to the World Bank, the return on one year of secondary education for a girl correlates with as high as a 25% increase in wages later in life.
- Investing in girls’ education helps to delay early marriage and parenthood. If all girls had secondary education in sub-Saharan Africa and South and West Asia, child marriage would fall by 64%, from almost 2.9 million to just over 1 million.
- Educated girls have fewer, healthier and better-educated children, and grow into women who are are empowered to take a greater economic role in their family and communities.
Watch Dr. Tererai Trent speak on the TEDx stage sharing her story as a girl from rural Zimbabwe who dreamed of an education:
Due to TTI Foundation’s progress over the past seven years in Hurungwe District, the largest school district in Zimbabwe, there are now more girls that enroll in school than boys.
However, once enrolled, girls do not succeed in their studies as well as boys. We believe there is more that can be done to ensure girls remain in school and motivated while they receive quality education, therefore the Foundation also works with the local communities so that more families will understand and embrace the importance of quality education for all children.
In an effort to offset the challenges produced by the gender gap, TTI Foundation has committed to the creation and growth of an endowment fund to finance the educational needs of underprivileged students, and to serve as a scholarship support for girls enrolled in high school and post high school programs.
TTI also recognizes that change is very effective at the policy level, which is why we work with governments to advocate and enhance awareness about pressing issues of gender equality which are affecting our rural communities.
TTI Foundation also is planning to implement accessible web-based education programs to support rural girls to continue their education at any level, and also update their skills to be ready for the modern world. The Foundation also encourages girls to aspire to science, technology, engineering and math careers, as lack of females in these careers is identified as a global concern and there are many opportunities for advancement for women in these areas.
Endowment Fund
We created and are growing an endowment fund to finance needs of underprivileged students in rural communities and to serve as a scholarship support program for girls enrolled in high school and post high school in an effort to offset the challenges produced by the gender gap. Our Baton Champions Campaign is already sending girls to college and University!
Advocacy
We work with governments to strengthen policies and laws that support and protect girls from any forms of violence within home, community and school, and ensure that girls make the crucial transition from primary to secondary school.
Girls & STEM
Our programs increase participation by girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math studies in high school and college. Additionally, we encourage them to aspire to STEM careers where they can flourish.
SUPPORT GIRLS IN RURAL ZIMBABWE
Girls in our Regional Schools
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Of our Local Students are Now Girls
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