The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) welcomed a 333 million euro pledge towards its ‘Raise Your Hand’ financing campaign announced by President Emmanuel Macron at the Generation Equality Forum in Paris.
“Girls’ education is absolutely fundamental. It is both the heart and the driver of equality between women and men. It is through education that we drive progress on health, nutrition, violence against women, teenage pregnancy, and child marriage. It is through education that we can create the right conditions for economic and social integration and citizen participation. This is why I am continuing our significant engagement towards the Global Partnership for Education, with a EUR333 million pledge for the next five years, with half of this contribution directly supporting girls’ education,” said President Macron.
An essential partner and leader on global education efforts, France hosted GPE’s previous financing campaign in 2018 together with Senegal. France’s leadership also saw the opening of GPE’s European headquarters in Paris in 2019.
“Investing in education – especially for girls – is the most effective way to drive progress on gender equality, which has been severely set back by COVID-19. France’s contribution to the ‘Raise Your Hand’ campaign demonstrates its leading role in support of global education efforts, reaffirming its commitment to GPE and to the education of millions of vulnerable children around the world,” said Alice Albright, GPE Chief Executive Officer, speaking at the Forum alongside President Macron.
The “Raise Your Hand” fundraising campaign comes at a critical time for education globally, as COVID-19 threatens to push 20 million girls out of school permanently and turn back decades of progress on getting children into school and learning.
