Around the world today, 130 million girls didn't go to school. Not because they didn¡¯t want to, but because they weren¡¯t able or allowed. They are denied an education for a variety of reasons, from cultural norms and costs to violence and extremism. The result is that these 130 million girls don¡¯t have a fair chance to live a decent and productive life, and the entire world misses out by not benefitting from their potential.
That is why Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF has joined the ONE campaign ahead of International Women¡¯s Day on 8 March, with the aim of making the world pay attention to these girls by counting them, one by one, out loud, all the way to 130 million, in a video that will make people listen. and for elected officials to hear and see. Because #GirlsCount.
This was Annika Savill's message: "1907. Because it is the birth year of Astrid Lindgren, who gave the world Pippi L¨¤ngstrump, the original girl power. Because every girl deserves the power that comes with knowing how to read and count. Join the count at ONE.org.¡±.
The campaign will meet politicians and leaders around the world on 8 March to ask them to help provide the resources for girl¡¯s education, and to remove the barriers that exist. Already over 250,000 people have signed the campaign's open letter, and many more are expected to join.
ONE is a campaigning and advocacy organization founded by Bono and other activists. Strictly non-partisan, it has engaged more than seven million people around the world taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa -- based on the belief that the fight against poverty isn¡¯t about charity, but about justice and equality.