Investing in Girls' Education is Going Green

Why is everyone always so concerned about investing in girls' education - isn't education important for boys too? TYO wholeheartedly believes in investing in education for all. Both boys and girls come together in TYO's classrooms, where they are treated equally by TYO's staff and volunteers, to learn teamwork and communication skills across gender divides.

But girls' education in particular, is so important. When you educate a girl in Palestine, you are educating the future mothers of tomorrow. And in the West Bank & Gaza, mothers are the primary caregivers in their communities. The more educated a girl is, the better choices she will make for herself and her future children. You've probably heard these things before: she's more likely to go to college, more likely to marry later, more likely to contribute financially to her household, more likely to improve her family's nutrition. The list goes on and on. But a recent article from Brookings Institute mentions a great point - girls education can even help address climate change.

The article explains the logic behind it as, "One of the most effective strategies for curbing global carbon emissions is to slow population growth. For example, in the United States, the carbon emissions of a single person is about 20 times the reductions that each of us might be expected to achieve by being more conscious of our carbon footprint, switching to electric cars and using LED light bulbs. Slowing population growth is also far cheaper than other strategies to address climate change, such as low-carbon energy investment whether it be to solar or nuclear or biofuels."

This was especially interesting in the context for TYO's beneficiaries; Many of whom come from refugee camps with an average of 8 children per household - and statistics show that the population in Palestine continues to grow every year. The article points out that "the difference between a woman with no years of schooling and with 12 years of schooling is almost four to five children per woman. And it is precisely in those areas of the world where girls are having the hardest time getting educated that population growth is the fastest." 

So investing in girls' education may not sound trendy, but it may just be the newest way to go green!