As a professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, Joann Baney teaches a communications course. Joann Baney also supports the Malala Fund, an organization that works to ensure that girls around the world have access to a quality education through grade 12. In November of 2015, the efforts of the organization, led by a Pakistani teen who was seriously injured by the Taliban, achieved a remarkable milestone.
The education minister of the Indian state of Maharashtra, inspired by Malala’s story, publicly announced girls’ access to education as a statewide priority. Vinod Tawde made the announcement at a Mumbai event that brought together girls from diverse backgrounds, including orphaned children, survivors of rape, and those living in Maharashtra slums.
The impact of this policy-level attention on girls’ education has the potential to be significant. Approximately 8 million school-age girls statewide are no longer pursuing education. In all of India, nearly 50 percent of girls do not attend secondary school. A major goal of this initiative is to empower girls, in a country where only 25 percent of women are members of the workforce.
The education minister of the Indian state of Maharashtra, inspired by Malala’s story, publicly announced girls’ access to education as a statewide priority. Vinod Tawde made the announcement at a Mumbai event that brought together girls from diverse backgrounds, including orphaned children, survivors of rape, and those living in Maharashtra slums.
The impact of this policy-level attention on girls’ education has the potential to be significant. Approximately 8 million school-age girls statewide are no longer pursuing education. In all of India, nearly 50 percent of girls do not attend secondary school. A major goal of this initiative is to empower girls, in a country where only 25 percent of women are members of the workforce.
