Break the bias to help girls into education and opportunity

How do you break down the barriers that hold back girls? One way is to make sure that boys are taught from a young age about gender equality. 

That is what Indian activist Kashvi Chandok told viewers at an Instagram Live event held by Theirworld to mark International Women’s Day on March 8. 

Kashvi, a Global Youth Ambassador for Theirworld, said: “Leading the change for gender equality can only be done when we start teaching both boys and girls about feminism, about the gender bias that exists from the very start.” 

The event was hosted by best-selling author, broadcaster and journalist Lorraine Candy and also featured Theirworld Chair Sarah Brown and Yasmine Sherif, Director of the global fund Education Cannot Wait. 

This year’s International Women’s Day theme was “Break the Bias”. Sarah set the scene by explaining how gender bias affects the education opportunities of millions of girls around the world, who are at risk of child labour, early marriage and other discrimination. 

Kashvi added: “When it comes to education, particularly for women from low-income backgrounds and conservative families, they are not given similar access to resources as their brothers. That generates a trickle-down effect of discrimination against girls and the kind of education they can receive – not just in schools but also at home and the support that they get from their parents.”