While Most Kids Wrapped Up 1st Week Of School, 31 Million Girls Were Kept Out Of Classrooms

Across the globe, students stocked up on fresh supplies and caught up with old classmates last week. But for 31 million girls, there were no teachers to meet, no first-day jitters to quell and no new homework to get cracking on.

The issue of girls being deprived of an education is gaining traction on Monday’s International Literacy Day, a UNESCO event that aims to raise awareness for the basic learning rights millions of girls lack and the immeasurable long-term benefits education offers. This year’s focus is on developing opportunities for girls who are faring far worse than their male counterparts.

Of the 126 million young people who are illiterate across the globe, 61 percent are girls, according to UNESCO.

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