UNITED NATIONS GIRLS EDUCATION INITIATIVE

DFID, the Department for International Development: leading the British government’s fight against world poverty.

One in five people in the world today, over 1 billion people, live in poverty on less than one dollar a day. In an increasingly inter-dependent world, many problems - like conflict, crime, pollution, and diseases such as HIV and AIDS - are caused or made worse by poverty.

DFID supports long-term programmes to help tackle the underlying causes of poverty. DFID also responds to emergencies, both natural and man-made.

DFID works in partnership with governments, civil society, the private sector and others. It also works with multilateral institutions, including the World Bank, United Nations agencies, and the European Commission.

DFID works directly in over 150 countries worldwide, with a budget of nearly £4 billion in 2004. Its headquarters are in London and East Kilbride, near Glasgow.

DFID believes that education is a right, not a privilege. Investing in basic education for girls and women has a positive impact on the wider society by boosting family incomes, reducing fertility rates and contributing to better health and nutrition. Having more girls in school leads to greater economic growth and less poverty.

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