Washington, DC – Today, Representatives Lois Frankel (D-FL-21) and Michael Waltz (R-FL-06) re-introduced the Keeping Girls in School Act to support the educational empowerment of girls globally. A companion bill will be introduced in the Senate by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).

Girls who remain in school are more likely to live longer, marry later, earn better income to support their families, and help their local and national economies thrive. Alarmingly, the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly 91 percent of the world’s student population. According to recent UN reporting, 11 million girls globally may not return to school because of COVID-19 related disruptions to their education. While the U.S. has been a global leader in efforts to expand and improve educational opportunities around the world, particularly for girls, there is still more work to be done.

The Keeping Girls in School Act will advance access to quality education in undeveloped countries by reducing the barriers that prevent girls from accessing secondary education. This includes obstacles like child marriage, religious or ethnic discrimination, female genital mutilation, and poor safety when traveling to and from school.

“When girls are educated their futures are brighter. This means greater prosperity and security for their families, communities, and the world,” said Rep. Frankel. “11 million girls are at risk of never returning to school around the world right now, which means there are 11 million reasons that we need to care about this issue. This bill will tackle the barriers keeping girls out of school, and help build a more peaceful, prosperous, and equitable world.”

“As a Green Beret who has operated all over the world, I have seen firsthand that in societies where women thrive, extremism doesn’t,” said Rep. Waltz. “Adolescent girls are disproportionately at risk of dropping out of school than boys. The Keeping Girls in School Act will help ensure girls can safely access the proper education they deserve. Girls’ education is essential to our national security and this legislation will help make the United States and the world safer places.”

“When girls are empowered with access to quality education, it sets their societies on the fast track for success and economic development. That’s why addressing the global gender education gap must be a critical U.S. policy priority,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’m proud to reintroduce bipartisan legislation that requires a global strategy to address barriers impeding education while getting to the root causes of these disparities. I’m glad to partner with Senator Murkowski on this crucial legislation to make clear the U.S. has a moral obligation to act now to protect and educate girls across the world.” 

“On the global scale, there are a staggering number of girls who are not in school because their attendance is deterred by unsafe environments, forced marriages, domestic violence, harassment, or poor socioeconomic status. These are all tragic obstacles, but through this legislation we have an opportunity to help,” said Senator Murkowski. “Education is a key factor in creating a healthy, successful future, both for individuals and for society at large. I’m proud to reintroduce legislation that will help break down barriers and give millions of girls in primary school and for young women pursuing a secondary education the chance to make attending school a reality.”

“Following important G7 country commitments to girl's education earlier this month, we are grateful to Senators Shaheen (D-NH) and Murkowski (R-AK) and Representatives Frankel (D-FL) and Waltz (R-FL) for their leadership in introducing the Keeping Girls in School Act. Roughly 130 million girls were out of school before the pandemic and some estimates suggest that over 11 million more girls may not return due to the indirect impacts of the COVID-19 crisis. Barriers like child marriage, early pregnancy, and harmful social norms keep girls from fulfilling their potential. At World Vision, we believe all children have the right to safe, inclusive, and quality education and we look forward to working with Congress and the Administration to put the needs of children at the center of COVID-19 recovery,” said Margaret Schuler, Senior Vice President, International Programs, World Vision US.

“The Basic Education Coalition applauds Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Congresswoman Lois Frankel (D-FL), and Congressman Michael Waltz (R-FL) for the bipartisan, bicameral introduction of the Keeping Girls in School Act. It is imperative that U.S. foreign assistance aim to break down gender-related barriers to education, particularly in secondary school when adolescent girls are at risk of dropping out, and the Keeping Girls in School Act will help ensure that girls' education programs promote holistic and multi-sectoral solutions that prioritize gender equity and broaden support for girls’ education at every level of society,” said Nancy Devine & Candace Debnam, Co-Chairs of the Basic Education Coalition.

“UNICEF believes that all children deserve access to a quality education. Yet adolescent girls, particularly in low-income countries, face unique barriers in accessing and completing their education. In the wake of COVID-19, the impacts of which had a disproportionate impact on women and girls, the Keeping Girls in School Act would prioritize investment in girls’ education programs that address these multiple and intersecting barriers. UNICEF USA is proud to support this bipartisan legislation to ensure girls go to school, stay in school and learn,” said Anucha Browne, Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer, UNICEF USA.

The Keeping Girls in School Act focuses on keeping girls in underdeveloped countries in school at the secondary level, a time when girls are most at risk of dropping out of school due to forced marriage, pregnancy, and other family pressures.

Specifically, the Keeping Girls in School Act:

• Outlines and highlights a non-exhaustive list of 15 barriers that girls face in entering and remaining in secondary education institutions.
• Authorizes USAID to enter into new international development projects across sectors to reduce these barriers that adolescent girls face. 
• Requires an updated U.S. global strategy to empower adolescent girls and that the strategy be reviewed and updated every 5 years.

This bipartisan, bicameral legislation has been endorsed by: Advancing Girls’ Education in Africa (AGE Africa), Advocates for Youth, AfricAid, Basic Education Coalition, Borgen Group, Breakthrough, Cambridge Education, CARE USA, ChildFund International, Christian Connections for International Health, Creative Associates International, EDC (Education Development Center), Feminist Majority Foundation, Food for the Hungry, Futures Without Violence, National Democratic Institute, Girl Up, Girl Up Initiative Uganda, Girl Rising, Girl Scouts of the USA, Global Campaign for Education-US, Global Women’s Institute, GreeneWorks, Human Rights Watch, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), International Rescue Committee, John Snow, Inc. (JSJ), Just Like My Child Foundation, JWI (Jewish Women International), Kakenya’s Drea, KIOO Project, Mercy Corps, PAI, Plan International YSA, Project Concern International, Promundo-US, RESULTS, RTI International, Save the Children, School Girls Unite, School-to-School International (STS), Seeds to Sew International, Shadhika, The Hunger Project, Too Young to Wed, Unchained At Las, UNICEF USA, WaterAid America, Women’s Global Education Project, Women Pillar Alliance (WOPA), Worldreader, World Education, World Learning, World Vision US.

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