Ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg on 7-8 July, Plan International is calling for the G20 nations to ensure that international funding for education in low and middle income countries rises from an annual spend of $16 billion today to $89 billion by 2030.
Call on world leaders to increase education fundingThe extra funding is crucial to plug the gap in education financing for the 130 million girls who are out of school across the world. It would also send a powerful signal to poorer countries that they should increase their own spending on education.
"Ahead of their summit, we’re asking the G20 nations to recognise the importance of education, put their hands in their pockets and plug the education financing gap,” said Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, Plan International CEO.
Education essential for girls’ futures
"School is not only important for academic learning – it can help promote beliefs, values, and expectations that equip students to take on leadership roles later in life. It can also challenge negative social norms and gender inequality."
education is absolutely central to achieving equality and justice for millions of girls.
Girls are 1.5 times more likely than boys to remain completely excluded from primary education and if no action is taken, more than 400 million girls will not secure secondary-level skills by 2030.
Ensuring inclusive, quality education for all children is one of the Global Goals that were agreed by world leaders in 2015 to transform the world by 2030. Unless G20 nations take urgent action, this goal cannot be realised.
School is a space in which girls exercise their agency, make their voice heard and access early leadership opportunities. If girls are denied their right to education, they are also denied the opportunity to develop into leaders in their homes, careers, communities and countries.
World leaders must support girls
Plan International is urging the G20 nations to:
- Commit to spending 0.7% of their Gross National Income on international aid
- Allocate at least 15% of their aid expenditure to education and increase the share directed to basic education
- Scale up financing to the Global Partnership for Education to $2 billion annually by 2020 and fully finance the Education Cannot Wait fund
"By closing the education funding gap and addressing the barriers preventing girls from equal participation at school, we can help develop the next generation of female leaders and ensure a brighter future for all,” said Ms Albrectsen.
Call for change
The call comes as part of #WeAreTheNext, a new global campaign from Plan International which is calling on G20 leaders to finance girls’ education so they have a chance to progress.
In the run-up to the G20 summit Plan International actively contributed to policy dialogue between G20 leaders and civil society organisations, co-chairing a global working group on inequality, gender and social protection and ensuring that access to inclusive quality education for girls and boys was high on the agenda.
“It’s critical that the voices of girls are heard at this highly influential forum,” said Maike Röttger, National Director of Plan International Germany.
“The G20 leaders must not ignore the fact that education is absolutely central to achieving equality and justice for millions of girls. Through quality education girls can truly transform their lives and their communities.”
