This Is Why 'Glamour' Cares So Much About Girls' Education
In 2014 Glamour launched The Girl Project, a philanthropic initiative dedicated to breaking down the barriers that stand between girls all over the world and a quality education. We were inspired by stories of girls like Malala Yousafzai, who was shot by the Taliban for speaking out about her right to learn, and the Chibok schoolgirls, who were kidnapped by a terrorist group that believes women don't belong in school.
Advertisement
But here's the thing: There are a ton of girls who aren't getting the education they deserve who don't make headlines. In some parts of the world, girls are forced out of school and into child marriage, or they have to spend their days carrying water instead of studying. In the U.S. girls are targeted with unfair dress codes or socialized out of STEM programs, and they struggle through poverty and bullying. One in six girls in the U.S. doesn't graduate from high school.
Tomorrow, the International Day of the Girl, The Girl Project is hosting a back-to-school rally for hundreds of schoolgirls, to talk about education, activism, and girlhood. (Tune in live at 10:00 A.M.) In preparation, we're revisiting Get Schooled, a series of videos we made last year documenting the lives of five girls who are working hard to get the education they're entitled to. All of them were supported by one of The Girl Project's nonprofit partners.
These girls might not be as famous as Malala, but they're still seriously inspirational. We recommend you binge-watch all five for maximum feels.
Keerthi's life was changed by a special school for poor children in India, where she's getting a great education that will allow her to escape the cycle of poverty into which she was born. Keerthi told us that she wants to become a computer engineer and make enough money to help her family.