According to UNICEF's research, 129 million girls are out of school. 1 of 5 girls from these 129 million girls gets married before the age of 18, which is 12 million girls each year. One of the reasons this happens is because of the lack of education. Education is an extremely important factor in our lives. It helps us move forward and make a modern world together, but not everybody gets the same opportunities. If the girls got the same opportunities as boys, would they be able to prevent child marriage and poverty?

There are a lot of reasons why girls can’t go to school. Some girls can’t go to school or get higher education because their parents can’t afford it, and sometimes education is not a priority. Parents prioritize education for boys because they’re supposed to support the family. Poor families struggle a lot, and when they’re able to afford education for one of their kids, they usually choose the boys. It also lies in the culture, because girls are going to get married anyway, so why get an expensive education? For parents in this situation, it makes sense to prioritize the boys because they have no other options. 

If boys can get a proper education, why not girls? If they were able to get the opportunity to an education, would they be able to end poverty? We’re humans after all and have the same rights. In article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is stated “Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in elementary and fundamental stages”. Human rights are important, and no one should be denied their right to education. It is important to take action if this human right is being denied. Malala Yousafzai is a Nobel peace prize winner who fought for this right. She was only 14 when the Taliban shot her in the head for wanting to go to school. Later, she became a human rights activist, and she fought for equality and education.

Education for girls not being a priority for the parents is ruining millions of innocent lives. It often ends with child marriage. Uneducated girls don’t have enough life experience or knowledge about the world. They don’t even know enough about their own body. They easily get tricked into marriage by their parents to older men, because their parents can’t afford to raise them and older men often offer a big sum of money. Many of these girls get pregnant at a young age, which can be dangerous for young girls. It can be difficult for them to move on in their lives, and their childhood can affect them later in life. 

In conclusion, education for girls can in many ways prevent child marriage and poverty. I think that the government should take responsibility to assure that everybody gets an education. In that way, it’s easier for both parents and their children, especially girls, regardless of the situation. Girls and boys have the same values, and parents should focus equally on both and not prioritize. Education is also the key to success. If the number of educated girls increases, so will the number of successful people. When there are more successful people, it gets easier to end poverty, which can also end global hunger. It is all chained like this, and one day we will have to make a change.