The anthem to end child marriage was written, composed and sung by talented young girls from Lusaka Girls School in Zambia. It’s a powerful reminder that girls want to be girls not brides, and they know their rights. It’s time to deliver on promises to end child marriage. CLICK HERE to see their music video.
GRAN is heartened that Canada has played an important role in bringing global attention and action to ending child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) worldwide. The Government of Canada’s network of missions around the world is working to raise awareness of the harmful impacts of CEFM. As part of this effort, the Government of Canada collaborated with Girls Not Brides on an exhibit entitled “Girls’ Voices: Speaking Out Against Child Marriage." The exhibit had its Ottawa launch on June 13 to celebrate Day of the African Child and GRAN was pleased to attend.
GRAN raises awareness of CEFM and mobilizes action through media, social media, global campaigns, and by meeting and corresponding with MPs, Ministers, Parliamentary Committees and international organizations and leaders who can influence action to end CEFM.
This year's theme for Day of the African Child is “Conflict and Crisis in Africa: Protecting all Children’s Rights”. Conflict and crisis in Africa limits access to education, weakens social institutions and increases the risk of sexual violence targeting women and girls. In such circumstances, families may turn to marrying off their girls in an effort to protect them.
The longer we wait, the bigger the problem will become. Listen to the voices of the school girls from Africa. The time is now...to let girls be girls not brides.
Submitted by Colleen Stefanich
Where is Education?
GRAN welcomes the International Assistance policy and framework review launched on May 18 by the Minister of International Development and Francophonie, Marie-Claude Bibeau. Through this process, Canada will decide on new directions and priorities to address global challenges over the next 5–10 years. The review process, to take place over the next 8 weeks, is based on six priorities put forward in a discussion paper. You can be sure, GRAN will be contributing to this discussion.
We are very pleased that health and the rights of women and children are central elements to the discussion paper. One of the issues GRAN will be raising in its submission is the role of quality education in development. In an article in this week’s Hill Times by Scott Walter, CODE asks why education is not a core theme in the policy. For true gender equality, empowerment of women and economic development to occur, quality education must be one of the key building blocks. To read more of Scott Walter’s article and see his compelling argument for the important role of quality education in development go to: https://www.hilltimes.com/2016/06/06/canada-should-make-education-a-core-theme-in-aid-policy/68341
To view the entire Global Affairs Canada (GAC) review process document and the other priorities, go to http://international.gc.ca/world-monde/development-developpement/iar-consultations-eai/comments-commentaires.aspx?lang=eng
All Canadians are encouraged to be part of this important conversation and your input is needed to lay out Canada’s role in the world.
Theirworld, War Child, Global Citizen Photo
SafeSchools Petition and Call to Action Handover at 10 Downing Street
GRAN is part of the movement. Thank you for your support.
GRAN LT Co Chairs signed and provided the GRAN Logo for the Call to Action that is part of the Handover.
GRAN also handed over the Call to Action to Mme Bibeau, Minister of International Development.
1 in 4 school age children in 35 countries affected by crises.
75 million children (3-18 years) have had their education affected, disrupted or destroyed by emergencies and prolonged crises.
Read more:
World Humanitarian Summit: 250,000 tell world leaders that Education Cannot Wait
Handover at Downing Street
GRAN EdWG post
http://www.grandmothersadvocacy.org/news/launch-education-cannot-wait-fund
Please promote the EdWG MP Letter Action
http://grandmothersadvocacy.org/system/files/resources/MayActionGRANlett...
World Humanitarian Summit-linking humanitarian and development aid
The first UN World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) initiated by UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon convened May 23/24, 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey.
To read a full report on the Education Cannot Wait Fund, please CLICK HERE
How can the world improve the lives of women and girls by 2030?
Women Deliver 4th Global Conference, is taking place May 16-19, 2016, in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the largest gathering on girls’ and women’s health and rights in the last decade and one of the first major global conferences following the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Implementing the SDGs so they matter most for girls and women is the focus, with a specific emphasis on maternal, sexual, and reproductive health and rights - and their inter-connections with gender equality, education, environment, and economic empowerment. To find out more about the conference, CLICK HERE
Key participants attending were asked what they thought were the most important actions needed to improve the lives of women and girls by 2030. CLICK HERE to read what they say:
The Prime Minister has announced that Canada will host the 5th Replenishment Conference of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The conference will take place in Montreal on September 16, 2016. Mr Trudeau also announced that Canada will pledge $785 million to the Global Fund for the period 2017 - 2019. This most welcome announcement reflects a 20% increase over our country's pledge at the 4th Replenishment. To read the statement issued by the Global Fund Advocates Network (gfan) click here.
Research presented for the Launch of Global Action Week April 24-30, 2016
To accomplish SDG 4 by 2030:
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong opportunities for all
Latest figures show support for education falls again and sub-Saharan Africa hit the hardest.
There is a massive need for education funding catch-up especially in sub-Saharan Africa due to previous lack of equitable funding to sub-Saharan Africa and rapid population growth.
In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
• SSA’s school-age population is projected to grow by one-third between 2015 and 2030 compared to a slight decline in all other major developing regions.
• 30 million children, more than half of the world’s 59 million out-of-school children lived in SSA (2013). This number has grown to 62 million (2016).
• SSA’s share of the world’s out-of-school children increased from 40% in 1999 to 57% in 2013.
• The number of out-of-school adolescents in SSA grew from 21 million in 2000 to 23 million in 2013 due to rapid population growth.
• Aid to education in SSA has not been well targeted eg. In 2002/03, SSA Aid to education reached 49% and in 2014 declined to 28%.
• 30% of women in SSA aged 15-24 years are still illiterate.
• More than 1/3 of children in SSA will be born to illiterate mothers, reinforcing the vicious circle of poverty, inequity and high fertility rates.
• About 1/3 of the labor force in SSA could still be illiterate in the 2030s, if education is not vigorously addressed through second-chance programs.
In developing countries education funding needs $39 billion annually from donor countries.
$39 billion buys 32 nuclear weapons.
The same amount could be spent sending every child to school.
Read more:
Fund the Future: Education Rights Now http://fund-the-future.org/en/about
Financing the massive education catch-up needed in sub-Saharan Africa
Funding education in Sub-Saharan Africa: Can the momentum be maintained during the current economic slowdown
For months now GRAN has been supporting the Doctors without Borders (MSF) petition asking that Pfizer and Glaxo Smith Kline (producers of the pneumonia vaccine) reduce the price of the vaccine to $5 per child. The vaccine at current prices is not accessible in developing countries where 2500 children a day die from pneumonia.
The petition has 400,000 signatures from 170 countries (GRAN members collected more than 3600 and generated many more signatures online). It was presented to Pfizer on April 27th at their headquarters in New York City by MSF. The names of the 400,000 signatories were all applied to the slats of a crib which was filled with 2500 flowers to represent the children whose lives are lost daily.
Watch the video of the protesters and the presentation of the petition here
https://www.facebook.com/msf.english/
As we mark "World Immunization Week" (April 24-30) it is sobering to note that 1 in 5 children (or 18.7 million children worldwide) are still missing out on routine immunizations for preventable diseases.
This is why GRAN supports the call of the World Health Organization (WHO) to “Close the Gap” on immunization.
CLICK HERE to find out more about World Immunization Week, and scroll to a quiz to test your immunization knowledge. (And if you haven't done so yet, please sign the MSF petition to encourage Pfizer and GSK to lower the cost of pneumonia vaccines.)
The GRAN Leadership Team would like to know your thoughts about how GRAN is doing.
We are requesting that you complete a short online survey that will take less than 10 minutes.
To complete the survey Click Here
It will remain open until April 22.
If you have already completed the survey, many thanks.
Nov 15, 2024
“A group of governments, multilateral development banks, UN agencies, and some of the world’s largest philanthropic organizations are announcing expanded efforts and increased coordination and... Read more
Nov 12, 2024
“The right funding now can protect the frontlines of the climate crisis from the worst effects of extreme weather events. For many developing countries, particularly in Africa, the cost of... Read more
Oct 15, 2024
“Everyone should have access to enough, nutritious, diverse, affordable, and safe foods.” -- FAO October 16 is marked each year as World Food Day. This year the UN invites us to focus on foods... Read more