"Education is the single most important foundation for women to reach equality and to extend choice over their bodies and lives."
Graça Machel

Access to education is not just a fundamental human right. It is critical in helping us overcome global challenges.

Yet in large parts of the world, girls and women still face discrimination and prejudice in accessing education at every level.

Despite compelling evidence that investment in girls' education is the best investment any society can make, they make up 70 per cent of older children who miss out on secondary school.  

This discrimination, which often has its roots in tradition and the male interpretation of faith, damages almost every aspect of women's lives - and the strength and prosperity of their society.