For every child in the UK education is free and mandatory, a privilege which is often taken for granted. For many children in the developing world, the chance to go to school is only ever a dream. Currently 40 - 60 million children are out of school in India and approximately 70 percent of these are girls.

There are many reasons for girls’ exclusion from education including, parochial attitudes to girls and education, inescapable poverty keeping girls in the home, poor quality and gender-biased education systems and little community understanding of their children’s education. These factors in turn contribute to early marriages, high birth rates, high maternal and child mortality rates, and social pathologies including violence against women, gender based discrimination, abuse and exploitation.

Addressing the barriers to education is therefore of primary importance in fighting poverty. Since 1997 CARE has been working in Uttar Pradesh, the largest state in India, to improve access for girls into education. By offering girls a chance to go to school, we are ensuring their future. An education is the first vital step for the most vulnerable and marginalised groups in India to getting a better job and earning money. This opportunity will empower women and ensure that future generations of girls will not face their adversities.

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