How can we keep girls in school?

According to the latest figures from UNESCO, nearly 50 million girls are not in school in Africa. Four million girls will never step into a classroom. They won’t be able to read or write, they won’t be able to understand medical prescriptions, safety instructions or help their children with homework.

That’s why women’s education is often at the forefront of development work in Africa. But the UN admitted that while the gender gap has narrowed, progress is stalling.

Claude spoke to three women who’ve all made it their mission to educate girls. What are we getting wrong? How can we keep girls in school?

Noëlla Coursaris Musunka is a philanthropist, model, and founder and CEO of Malaika. The Malaika school provides free, accredited primary and secondary education to 400 girls in the south-eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Cara Myers is the co-founder of the Mozambique School Lunch Initiative, a non-profit organisation which invests in community-owned school lunch programs to improve child nutrition and get children in school.

Djénéba Gory is a Malian education specialist, who graduated from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She is the co-founder of Suadela, an organisation which aims to build up the negotiation skills of girls.

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