SAMA is thinking big
We all know that gender inequality exists in the world, but these BIG stats may shock you:
- 53 million girls in developing countries are denied access to primary school education.
- Out of the 1 billion people living in extreme poverty, 70% are women and girls.
- A girl without an education has a 90% chance of being poor and raising children who will also live in poverty.
With almost 3.5 billion women in the world, Intrepid has 3.5 billion BIG reasons to shine the spotlight on gender issues. That’s why Intrepid has started SAMA, a three-year global gender equality initiative. SAMA is working with Plan and The Intrepid Foundation to improve the lives of communities, bridge the gender gap and help break the cycle of poverty through education.
There’s research that shows investing in girls delivers BIG results:
- For every year a girl stays in school, her income rises by 15%, and her children are 5-10% more likely to survive.
- Girls completing secondary school in Kenya would add US$27 billion to the country’s economy over their lifetimes.
- “Investment in girls’ education may well be the highest-return investment available in the developing world” – Larry Summers, former Chief Economist of the World Bank.
Investing in girls also has a significant benefit for their families, communities and entire countries. Everyone benefits, including boys and men.
Wattana from Cambodia is living proof that educating a girl can transform several people’s lives. Read her inspiring story.
To find out more about SAMA, head to intrepidtravel.com/sama and follow facebook.com/intrepidsama.
