Water, Education, Empowerment:Bridging Gaps for Girls in Africa
Jessica Mshama
Entrepreneur/Youth Ambassador
Dr. Rukayya Umar
Computer Science Teacher
Monica Bajraktarevic
Assistant Head of School, Pioneer Academy
Hon. Neema Lugangira
Member, Tanzanian Parliament
As of 2020 nearly 1 in 4 people living in sub-Saharan Africa lived without basic drinking water service, a crisis with significant effects on the physical, economic and social well-being of hundreds of millions of Africans. UNESCO reported in 2023 that 16.7 million school-aged girls in sub-Saharan Africa are not enrolled in classes. These two facts are not unrelated: many girls and young women bear the responsibility of traveling long distances to collect water for their families daily, forgoing their education and because of demands on their time and energy. This is but one example of the ways that poverty, education and clean water interact to affect the lives of women and girls in Africa.
As the United Nations marks International Women’s Month with the hosting of its 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) from March 11-22, 2024, Embrace Relief aims to bring these interconnected issues to the forefront. We will be hosting a CSW68 parallel event, a panel titled “Water, Education, Empowerment: Bridging Gaps for Girls in Africa,” will take place on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at the Church Center for the United Nations in New York.
Panelists will be invited to share key insights on strategies to improve the condition of women in Africa by promoting investment in girls’ education and addressing the clean water crisis, adding to the discussion around the critical issue of women’s empowerment and gender equality.
This is a free, in-person event open to the public. If you wish to attend, please fill out the sign-up form by clicking below.
Sign-up Form
