Over the past decade, we have made great strides in advancing gender equity for girls globally. But amid this progress, COVID-19’s devastating impact over the last year has revealed an earth-shattering truth: This pandemic has set girls back. As we navigate the new frontier that is 2021, it is up to all of us to ensure that our girls are not forgotten.
The girl I saw had a bright, beautiful face and big expressive eyes. She was standing outside the school gates, clinging to the fence with her fingers laced through the wires and peering in longingly. I knew that this young girl, who I later learned is named Srelin, was not being brought into the school to be enrolled, and I wondered if she ever would be. It was a moment of reflection as I realized that the world would never see the boundless potential she possessed if she was barred from education. I knew in that moment that providing girls like Srelin the tools for self-empowerment was the way that her community, indeed our world, could change for the better.