Right to Play Rally for Girls Education
January 28, 2022
January 24 marked the fourth edition of the United Nations International Day of Education, bringing to light the work that needs to be done to close the gap of the 1.6 billion children who were out of school during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 1994, Right to Play (RTP) has been on a mission to protect, educate and empower children to rise above adversity using the power of play.
The international organization has worked in some of the most difficult and dangerous places on earth to help children to stay in school and graduate among other things. Twenty years in, it has grown to reach 2.35 million children in 15 countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Canada.
A long-time advocate for girls' education, RTP's Canada arm, has launched its second annual Rally for Girls' Education campaign - a virtual, cross-country prep rally in Canada to raise awareness and inspire action for improving girls' education in low-income areas.
On February 4, a live and interactive event featuring exciting games, appearances by RTP Ambassadors and special guests from the government will kick off the Rally. Following will be a week-long virtual challenge to mobilize Canadian youth around the call for global girls’ education, encouraging people to post a photo with the hashtag #Rally4GirlsEd and tell the story of a female who has inspired them and expanded their education.
With over 1.4 million children in 17 African countries reached, RTP has a focus on the African region. A 2021 report noted that around one million girls in Sub-Saharan Africa may never return to school after facing challenges such as an increase in sexual and gender-based violence, pregnancy and economic hardship as a result of the pandemic.
RTP launched a Save Her Seat initiative in 2021 in response to the pandemic’s effect on girls’ education. Along with the threat of the virus itself, disruptions like school closures, financial strain and social isolation put girls at huge risk of not returning to school. According to RTP, 11 million girls following the pandemic were at risk of leaving school forever.
An RTP survey conducted by teachers in three regions in Ghana found that 62% of girls had taken on additional household responsibilities, compared to only 18% of boys. Mozambique and Rwanda had similar findings. Discussions with partners and teachers also showed that it was a very real fear that many of these girls would never return to school because their time had been redirected into chores or income-earning activities.
As a result, with the financial support of the Government of Canada, RTP is implementing the Gender-Responsive Education and Transformation (GREAT) program in Ghana, Mozambique and Rwanda. Having launched in 2018, the Government of Canada committed CAD $19.5 million in support of the GREAT program over the course of five years to give girls equal opportunities to receive a quality education and to shape their futures.
The Rally for Girls’ Education is an extension of the GREAT program, with the intentions of the challenge offering more support and in return creating global impact.
If you live in Canada, take part in the #Rally4GirlsEd campaign and accept the challenge here.
Right to Play has been past Beyond Sport Global Award entrants across several of their program countries.