UNESCO Chief Calls for Increased Investment in Girls’ Education

Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO’s Director-General, emphasized the need for greater global investment in girls’ and women’s access to education during an award ceremony in Beijing, China. Azoulay co-chaired the ceremony for the 2023 UNESCO Prize for the Education of Women and Girls, alongside Professor Peng Liyuan, the agency’s Special Envoy.

Azoulay acknowledged the significant progress made in education since the adoption of the UN Declaration and Programme of Action for Women’s Rights in 1995, citing that 90% of girls worldwide have completed primary education, and over 40% have access to higher education. However, she stressed that gender equality in education remains unrealized, as two-thirds of illiterate adults globally are women.

The UNESCO Prize recognizes exceptional and innovative contributions to advancing girls’ and women’s education. This year, the award honored two projects in Pakistan and China. Pakistan’s Star Schools program ensures girls’ education in emergency situations, benefiting over 540,000 minority girls, including Afghan and Rohingya refugees. The Spring Bud project in China supports quality education access for four million adolescent girls from various ethnic groups. Both initiatives aim to empower girls with education, literacy, and awareness of their rights.

During her visit to China, Azoulay met with President Xi Jinping, reaffirming China’s commitment to supporting UNESCO’s mandate and collaborating with its member states. Azoulay also visited two UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Forbidden City in Beijing and the Beijing Man site in Zhoukoudian, highlighting the importance of preserving natural and cultural heritage of universal value to humanity.

UNESCO Chief Calls for Increased Investment in Girls’ Education

Re-reported from the article originally published in UN News