LONDON, 10 June 2021 - Ahead of the G7 summit this weekend at which G7 nations will be agreeing a global plan to help 40 million girls into education, and the Global Education Summit in London in July, a new report published by the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on Population, Development and Reproductive Health (APPG on PDRH) calls for increased funding and access to sexual and reproductive health and rights to keep girls in school.
The report, "12 years of quality education: How investing in sexual and reproductive health and rights helps keep girls in school", recommends that:
• Donors and their programme delivery partners should commit to long-term predictable investment, taking a multi-pronged approach to reach girls both in school and out of school, that includes the provision of adolescent reproductive health services and comprehensive sexuality education (CSE);
• The UK Government needs to include a clear strategy for long-term investment in SRHR, with a particular focus on adolescent girls, as part of the upcoming International Development Review;
• National governments need to invest in high-quality, rights-based CSE for children and adolescents both in and out of school, and repeal policies and practices that result in the exclusion or expulsion of girls from school for reasons of pregnancy, marital status or sexual activity.
Nearly one third of girls who drop out of school do so because of pregnancy. In order for the UK Government to achieve their goals on girls’ education, they will have to invest in sexual and reproductive health services to enable girls and young women to remain in school. Formal education is key to avoiding pregnancy and child marriage. Investing in adolescent girls through education and reproductive health and rights, ensures sustainable development, as well as economic development.
The APPG on PDRH report considered expert evidence and examined ways in which sexual and reproductive health interventions improve educational outcomes for girls and how to overcome related barriers to keep girls in school. The report also considers the effects of crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change interactions, and the demographic dividend. It includes recommendations for the UK Government, the UK’s programme delivery partners, parliamentarians, national governments and recommendations on best practice. The APPG on PDRH launched the report in a webinar with EPF with panelists including EPF President Petra Bayr, UK APPG Co-Chair Baroness Sugg and keynote speaker, the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Girls’ Education, Helen Grant MP.