Intel, 10x10 Announce New Efforts to Empower Girls, Transform Developing Economies Through Education
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
- Intel and the 10x10 campaign, partners on the new feature film "Girl Rising," will develop policy frameworks with local leaders aimed at achieving gender equity in education and accelerating economic development.
- Workshops will be held in low- and middle-income countries with the end goal of developing regional policy frameworks that will empower girls and achieve gender equity in education.
- Each year of secondary schooling increases a girl’s future wages by 10 to 20 percent. At the national level, increasing the share of women with secondary education by just 1 percent increases a country's annual GDP by an average of .3 percent.
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Intel Corporation and the 10x10 campaign, partners on the new feature film "Girl Rising," today announced they will work with policymakers in low- and middle-income countries to develop transformative education and technology policies that empower women, achieve gender equity in access to quality education and accelerate economic development.
Together, Intel and 10x10 will develop and host gender equity and education policy workshops, and develop regional policy frameworks based on key gender needs. The workshops will help governments think deeply about issues of gender equity as they develop national policy plans for broader education transformation.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations report, “What Works in Girls’ Education,” each year of secondary schooling increases a girl’s future wages by 10 to 20 percent. At the national level, increasing the share of women with secondary education by just 1 percent increases a country's annual GDP by an average of .3 percent. Yet studies from the United Nations and International Labour Organization show that in 2009, girls accounted for 53 percent of all out-of-school children and 87 million women were unemployed in 2010, up from 76 million in 2007.
Underscoring the humanitarian and economic imperative of improving access to quality education for girls and women around the world, Intel and 10x10 will join U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and actress Freida Pinto for a "Girl Rising" rally today at World Bank headquarters. Directed by Academy Award nominee Richard Robbins, the film spotlights the stories of nine girls born into unforgiving circumstances, delivering a single message: Educating girls in developing nations will change the world.
“We’ve seen first-hand the transformational change that can occur when girls have access to an education,” said Shelly Esque, vice president of Intel's Corporate Affairs Group and president of the Intel Foundation. “By working with 10x10 and policymakers to improve gender equity in education, Intel is taking the vital message of 'Girl Rising' into action. Together, we can empower girls and help them become agents of positive change in their communities.”
“By sharing the personal stories of these nine girls, 'Girl Rising' illustrates just how important education is in the movement to empower women and girls,” said Holly Gordon, 10x10’s executive director. “Our partnership with Intel to provide decision makers in developing countries with scalable policy solutions to expand gender equity in education marks the next step in our commitment to change both minds and policy to positively impact girls’ lives.”
“Improving access to education for girls is a critical step in our efforts to end poverty and improve the lives of people around the world,” said Elizabeth King, the World Bank’s education director. “Good quality education helps unlock the potential of girls and women everywhere, and has enormous benefits for them and broader society. We in the development community can help by sharpening the technical tools and knowledge to design and implement better policies and programs to get girls to school, keep them safe, and support their learning.”
Countries with less gender inequality in education and employment have lower levels of child mortality, more transparent businesses and faster economic growth, according to the World Bank report, “Engendering Development: Through Gender Equality in Rights, Resources and Voice.”
Through the policy workshops, Intel and 10x10 will help leaders determine how to utilize technology to facilitate gender equity across school policy, curriculum and assessment, teacher development, and research and evaluation. These efforts will build on Intel’s existing policy framework, which leverages education policy and information and communications technologies (ICTs) to create mechanisms for empowering girls and achieving gender equity in education at scale.
About Intel's Girls and Women Commitment
Today, millions of girls around the world have little or no access to education. Intel believes that education should be a fundamental right for everyone and recognizes the major role technology plays in improving both the quality of and access to education. Through access to technology, scholarships and community learning programs, Intel provides girls and women with opportunities for quality education and personal growth.
About Intel
Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world's computing devices. Additional information about Intel is available at newsroom.intel.com and blogs.intel.com.
About 10x10
10x10 was founded by award-winning journalists at the Documentary Group and Vulcan Productions, along with strategic partner, Intel Corporation. 10x10 is built on a foundation of partnerships with NGOs, corporations, policy makers, and grassroots organizations – all working to change minds, lives, and policy. 10x10’s coalition of NGO partners include a high-impact network of champions and leaders in girls’ education. These organizations provide life-changing services to girls every day, and are among the best practitioners of their kind. They include: A New Day Cambodia, CARE USA, Girl Up/UN Foundation, Partners in Health, Plan International USA, Room to Read, and World Vision.
Intel Corporation
Lisa Malloy, 202-626-4397
Lisa.malloy@intel.com
Source: Intel Corporation
Released Apr 18, 2013 • 10:00 AM EDT