Educate a girl

Now don't get me wrong. I'm all for the education of boys too, and there's certainly no shortage of ways boys can be shortchanged in their own pursuit of education. So if you'd like to fund some boy's education, please, don't let me stop you. But as we all know through the story of Malala Yousafzai, there are parts of the world where girls' education is actively hindered, and beyond that, when families in straitened circumstances have to prioritize education, it's often the girls who lose out.

The admirable International Rescue Committee, which deals particularly with people caught in the midst of large scale humanitarian crises, emailed me about a program they've set up where you can donate to give a gift of a year of school for one girl. And you will find other kinds of things you can give to all kinds of people there, at a wide variety of price ranges.

I think the future of the world depends on girls and women being fully incorporated into our collective decision-making. Men sometimes appear to be afraid of this, but in fact, bringing all of our human resources to bear on the problems the world is facing is a win-win for everyone.

                                                                                                                      Unesco