…of the simple fact that most schools don’t have girls-only latrines, water to wash with, or privacy. Once puberty arrives, many girls simply stay home.
Another School Barrier for African Girls: No Toilet
The article notes that if girls and women had access to all the normal goods and services their societies offered, such as a basic education, farming supplies and subsidies, and a supply of sanitary goods, life for everyone would be better. Why? According to the World Bank:
The issue, advocates for children say, is not merely fairness. The World Bank contends that if women in sub-Saharan Africa had equal access to education, land, credit and other assets like fertilizer, the region’s gross national product could increase by almost one additional percentage point annually. Mark Blackden, one of the bank’s lead analysts, said Africa’s progress was inextricably linked to the fate of girls.