UNITED NATIONS GIRLS EDUCATION INITIATIVE

Growing evidence shows that getting and keeping young people in school, particularly girls, dramatically lowers their vulnerability to HIV. By itself, merely attending primary school makes young people significantly less likely to contract HIV. When young people stay in school through the secondary level, education’s protective effect against HIV is even more pronounced. This is especially true for girls who, with each additional year of education, gain greater independence, are better equipped to make decisions affecting their sexual lives, and have higher income earning potential – all of which help them stay safe from HIV.

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Orphaned by AIDS, young girl struggles to care for her family
17 October 2005, ZOMBA, Malawi - In the African country of Malawi, nearly half a million children have been orphaned by AIDS, with one or both of their parents having died of the disease.

UN World Summit: First Spouses event hosted by Nane Annan
NEW YORK, 14 September 2005 – As world leaders gathered for the 2005 United Nations World Summit, Nane Annan, wife of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, hosted a briefing for First Spouses that highlighted the relationship between girls’ education, HIV/AIDS and development.

Swaziland: A teacher returns home to confront barriers to girls’ education
Sibili Nsibande was already a leader in her community through her work as a teacher at St. Annes high school in the Malkerns Valley, Swaziland. Now, thanks to a one-year fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, United States, she’s returning home armed with training in areas such as teen sexuality and organizing school clubs.

‘Scholarship Plus’ for Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa
Mentors. Community involvement. Female role models. HIV/AIDS education. Those may not sound like parts of a typical scholarship program. But then, the African Girls Scholarship Program is not typical.