Until children, especially girls, are educated, societies won't change. Education is the antidote for ignorance, poverty, and war. Empowering women is extremely important in this plan. A woman's earnings will be 10-20% higher for every year of school she completes. The child of a literate mother has a 50% greater chance of surviving past age 5. Children with educated mothers are 50% more likely to go to school. Of 57 million children who aren't in school 31 million of them are girls.
Central Asia Institute Co-Founder Greg Mortenson said "You can drop bombs, send in troops, build roads, put in electricity, or hand out condoms, but unless the girls are educated, a society will not change." With terrorist incidents on the rise it is essential that women in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan are educated and therefore less likely to support militancy.
As women become more educated, they are less likely to support militancy and terrorism than similarly educated men, according to a University of Maryland School of Public Policy survey. The survey of Pakistani women also found that uneducated women are more likely to support militancy and terrorism than similarly educated men.
Young men and boys recruited by extremist groups are required to get their mothers' blessings before joining such an organization, or going on a suicide mission. So, girls who are educated - especially who complete secondary school - grow up to be mothers who are less likely to give their sons permission to pursue violent solutions. Every year approximately 100,000 individuals participate in CAI-sponsored programs.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
