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There are still 150 million girls that are not in schools and one in five girls in developing countries does not finish primary schools, according to Nicolla Hewitt, Middle East Advisor for ‹Girl Rising› global campaign.
During her speech about The Power of Girls, Education and Entrepreneurship in the last day of AMWAJ 2016 forum in Amman, Jordan, Hewitt said Go Rising is a global movement that is inspired by people for educating girls.
She said “when girls do have education opportunity, the GDP goes up by three percent and girl income will rise by 25 percent every year she stays in school.»
Hewitt added that one in seven girls in developing countries gets married before she is 15. Girl who stays in school for 7 years has less children and marries later and girl who stays in school generates more income up to 25 percent each year she stays.
She announced that in 2017 they are going to make a film for 12 minutes in Saudi Arabia.
“We are picking Saudi Arabia since more women are educated than men there, with a 91 percent literacy rate. But there, the problem is not getting to school, it is getting a job,”Hewitt said.
During the last day AMWAJ 2016, which is an international sustainability and entrepreneurship forum organized by PepsiCo and Revolve Media, several sessions were held stressing several topics in the MENA region including, women empowerment, unemployment, water issues, and entrepreneurship.
The first session was focused on connecting and investing in water and energy projects. Young entrepreneurs have talked about their businesses in several panels and sessions.
One of the sessions focused on the role of the private sector in driving sustainable development and Waleed Abd El Rahman, the founder of getMum, which a food business, talked about his story and how several households are working with him from home to provide the start-up customers, including employees, lunch meals.
There was also a panel under the title ‘Women Agents of Social Change and Drivers of Economic Growth’. The speakers were women with start-up businesses in different fields such as fashion.
AMWAJ 2016 is focused on offering socially innovative ideas, sharing best practices and finding practical solutions to build inclusive societies for a sustainable future in the MENA region. The forum brings together leaders in environmental sustainability, social entrepreneurs and media to create a socially responsible community – in water and energy conservation as well as social innovation.
© The Saudi Gazette 2016
