“If we are all educated equally, every generation will be a smart generation,” girl, 14 years old.
In honor of the global campaign ‘16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence’ (November 25-December 10), the students of Sinuni Secondary School demonstrated their passion for equal access to education through art.
Asked to draw a picture representing why women – just like men – should enjoy the same access to school and college, students of all ages depicted both the power of educated women and the barriers to engage girls in education that still exist today.
This activity, as well as several others designed to mark the 16-day campaign, were made possible through an on-going partnership between Islamic Relief Worldwide and UNDP Iraq. This partnership is a part of an livelihoods project funded by the Government of France, under which 250 returnee and host community members from Sinjar and Hamdaniya will receive small business development support, in the form of training and grants.
Importantly, the project engages community members in Gender-Based Violence (GBV) awareness activities throughout implementation and supports equal access to livelihood opportunities for GBV survivors.
We asked students to tell us why they think education for women is important.
“Girls should have the same rights as boys. I need to know how to communicate – to read and write…and for this, I need an education,” girl, 18 years old.
“When I marry and have children, I want to be able to support my family. I want to go to college and be a doctor,” girl, 17 years old.
“It’s important to know how to communicate well. When I need support for myself or my family – in the hospital or in other places, a good education will make sure I can tell them what I need,” girl, 11 years old.
“I want to see all girls in school! No matter whether you are a boy or a girl, you need to be able to earn a living to support your family – to have a good job…and this is easier if you are well educated. We need more people to start talking about equal rights for men and women,” boy, 16 years old.
“Everyone should be able to write their name, but some girls aren’t even allowed to learn this. We want everyone to be able to do the same,” boys, 11 and 17 years old.
“I want to be a doctor and support my whole community. I’m a girl and that’s why I come to school,” girl, 5 years old.
“Education is important for boys and girls, so we can build a bright future together,” girl, 15 years old.
“Women and men should be independent. If we are both educated, we can support each other and achieve more,” girl, 17 years old.
“Equal access to education is equal access to decent jobs,” girl, 19 years old.
“Women should be educated equally so that they can be engaged in the community and represent what we need in our country,” girl, 15 years old.