"The ability of women to control their own fertility is absolutely fundamental to women's empowerment and equality. When a woman can plan her family, she can plan the rest of her life. When she is healthy, she can be more productive. And when her reproductive rights--including the right to plan her family in terms of birth timing and spacing, and to make decisions regarding reproduction free of discrimination, coercion and violence--are promoted and protected, she has freedom to participate more fully and equally in society."Empowering Women UNFPA

But most of all, know that this is the trend throughout the world. Education for women has proved that development is fastest in a country or in an area when education for women is provided at all levels. The United Nations is particularly interested in this development.

Two other focal points of the Fund are particularly important in the education process:
" * Providing economic opportunity and independence for women...
* Improving women's access to information technology"

"Since 1987, the Global Fund for Women has granted $25.5 million to 2,000 women's groups in 161 countries, enabling each organization to apply the funds to best address the specific needs of women in their communities. Last year, the Global Fund made over $4 1/2 million in grants."

In Zuvarabuda Primary School in Nyanga, life skills are being provided to girls. Sewing is being taught on two afternoons every week to girls in the three final years of primary education. As the girls' competence has grown, so have their opportunities to make and sell locally-needed goods. The local pre-school recently placed orders for play tunics and this income is sustaining the cost of materials and training. The group is now learning to make primary school sports tunics for their peers.

In Northern Ghana, CamFed provides support to girls in seven rural districts - Savelugu Nanton, Bole, Gushegu Karaga, East Mamprusi, Tamale Rural, and as of 2001, Tolon Kumbungu and Nanumba... Support begins when girls reach Class Four at primary school - the point when they are at most risk of dropping out. This includes the provision of school uniform, school shoes and stationery, the major costs for education at primary level. Providing uniforms has a very positive impact on girls' self-esteem. Clothes are valued in rural communities and the sight for the first time of large numbers of girls walking smartly and confidently to school is raising parental and community pride. In many schools in Northern Ghana, is not unusual for ten or fifteen children to share one book. A significant number of children cannot afford to buy exercise books and so write on slates, which means they have no permanent record of their work. CamFed is providing items such as reading books, exercise books and math sets to improve the quality of education in our 29 partner schools.

Example of possible scholarship programs available for post-secondary education