What’s all about?
Women account for two thirds of the world’s 774 million adult illiterates. Of 72 million primary children who are out of school, 64% per cent of them are girls and only one in every five girls are enrolled in school in the third world. Nearly 80% of these girls drop out between the ages of 6 and 12.
These statistics have remained unmoved, unchallenged and unchanged for decades. Policy makers worldwide are yet to actively invest in women’s education – which leads to the question: why should women be educated? During this class we will aim to answer this important question by highlighting the economic, social and political benefits of educating and ultimately investing in women worldwide.
What will we cover?
Let’s set aside ethics, emotions and the inhumanity that is gender inequality and address this concern from an economic, practical and rational ‘black and white’ debate. This modern method of arguing for women’s equality will hopefully inspire professional and political change, rather than just emotional and social movements. The two main points this class will cover are:
- The economic benefit of educating women worldwide
- How educating and empowering girls can change the viscous cycle of poverty into a virtuous cycle of prosperity
Who will be teaching it?
Frederique (better known as Freddie) is a 2013 ambassador of the Australian based charity ‘One Girl’ which primarily supports women’s education in Sierra Leone. An active member of a number of charities over the last few years, she has great experience in inspiring new ways of viewing women’s inequality aimed to impress even the most cynical non-feminists with concrete facts and figures littered with feminist satire to lighten the mood. Freddie is a full time student studying a Bachelor of Biomedical Science and a Bachelor of Commerce and finds any excuse to address her passion (women’s equality) in her scientific and economic studies.