Girls of Today - Women of Tomorrow

March 8, 2018

60 million girls Announcement

Empowering girls for a more just and balanced world.

On International Women’s Day, we could not think of a more fitting time to announce a new partnership with an organization committed to the girls of today – the women of tomorrow! With the 60 million girls foundation, we share the common goal of ensuring quality education, especially for girls who are marginalized and struggle to realize their rights. 

We could not be more proud to have a new project selected to receive support from the 60 million girls foundation in 2019. Introducing Technology for Improved Education in Comitancillo, Guatemala, a project designed to open doors and expand minds in underserved, marginalized areas of the country through improved teacher training, innovative didactic materials, and mobile learning technology – all delivered through a gender equality lens.

Facing Adversity

Meeting it head on.

Barriers to quality education in the region include a lack of classroom infrastructure (including a lack of classrooms and desks); large class sizes; deficits in teacher training and lack of educational resources; lack of access to diverse, culturally appropriate and technologically appropriate teaching tools.

In addition to facing these barriers, girls face additional challenges. Indigenous girls in Guatemala are among the country’s most disadvantaged group with limited schooling as a result of early marriage, frequent childbearing and chronic poverty. Less than 30% of poor, rural indigenous girls are enrolled in secondary school.

This project is designed to improve the quality of education in Guatemala’s western highlands – home to the Maya-Mam indigenous people. The project reach includes 35 indigenous communities and includes the construction of two permanent technology classrooms that will be equipped with Mobile Learning Labs in addition to eight Mobile Learning Labs that will travel between communities for use in local schools.

The action plan addresses current challenges faced by rural students – specifically girls – by providing accessible mobile learning technology, best practice examples in teacher training, and using culturally-relevant content, all while implementing a gender equality action plan. The Time is Now.

Central America and the Caribbean economic development Education Education Girls Guatemala Indigenous Peoples School Uncategorised Women/Gender