Girls’ education charity CEO puts on a school dress to raise money for those who cannot
This International Literacy Day, over 700 and counting people will join Dr Chrisanta Muli, CEO of One Girl, to put on a school dress and raise money for girls’ education
September 2021 // “The dress is a symbol that reminds us that over 132 million girls around the world today do not have the opportunity to wear a school uniform and go to school,” says Dr Chrisanta Muli, CEO of One Girl Australia, about the annual Do It In A Dress fundraising campaign. Kicking off on 8 September or International Literacy Day, Do It In A Dress (DIIAD) is a global fundraising movement where people choose to put on a school dress to raise money for One Girl’s girls’ education support and employment training programs in Sierra Leone and Uganda.
In Sierra Leone, only 29% of school aged girls will complete high school, compared to 44% of school aged boys.
“Education, especially for girls in many parts of the world, is seen and talked about as a privilege, BUT it is a human right!”
“At One Girl, the dress is a constant reminder that more must be done to ensure that ALL girls around the world have the same opportunities that boys have to go to school. This is why I will be wearing a school dress for four weeks between International Literacy Day(8 Sept) to International Day of the Girl (11 Oct),” says Dr Muli.
And Chrisanta is not alone. 700 (and counting people) from around the nation and the world have already signed up for DIIAD this year. Schools and universities from across the country, including groups from University of Queensland, Bendigo Senior Secondary College and Trinity College, have signed up and are continuing to sign up to put on a school dress and raise money for girls’ education.
“The thought that there are still millions of girls worldwide who are denied access to education in the 21st century is astounding,” says Taylah Ward, a uni student from Melbourne who has signed up for DIIAD this year.
“My education means the world to me, it has opened so many doors for me, not just in terms of knowledge and career opportunities, but it has also taught me life skills, helped me to develop friendships and make informed choices regarding my health and wellbeing.”
“By wearing a school dress, I’m supporting One Girl’s vision of educating girls and sparking conversations to raise awareness.”
In 2021, DIIAD turns 10. To date, 15,000+ people from 20 countries have skydived, surfed, skied, ran, hiked, shopped, worked, done yoga, held lessons/meetings in a school dress and raised over $4.4 million dollars. This support has meant that over the past 10 years, One Girl could reach 38,647 girls and young women with school support, WASH, SRHR and MHM education & resources, vocational training and mentoring; engage 3,433 community members across 86 communities to support girls to stay in school, and trained and 68 mentors and teachers to be role models for girls and young women.
But there remains a long way to go…
WE HAVE A PROBLEM ON OUR HANDS…
• Over 132 million girls around the world are denied an education simply because they were born a girl. 11 million girls may not return to school because of school closures and disruptions from the Covid-19 pandemic
• Sierra Leone and Uganda are two of the most challenging places in the world to be born a girl: almost 50% of female youth in Sierra Leone are illiterate, up to 40% of girls in Sierra Leone and Uganda are forced into child marriage and 3 in 5 girls in Sierra Leone don’t attend school
• In Sierra Leone, 21% of girls aged 15 to 19 have begun childbearing
• 39% of girls are married before their 18th birthday and 13% are married before their 15th birthday.
BUT WE HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE IT!
• For every year a girl stays in school, her income will increase by 10-25% and her country's climate crisis resilience goes up by 3.2%
• An educated woman’s children are 50% more likely to live past the age of five and highly likely to be educated
• 10% fewer adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa would fall pregnant if they could complete primary school.
For more more information or to request an interview, contact One Girl Communications Director, Anjali Nambissan on 0438 983 095 or at media@onegirl.org.au
About One Girl:
One Girl is an Australian not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting girls without access to education in two of the worst places in the world to be born a girl: Uganda and Sierra Leone. One Girl raises funds and awareness through national campaigns like Do It In A Dress to provide thousands of girls and young women with access to education.
Since 2009, One Girl has worked with well-established local organisations to reach more than 38,000 women and girls with access to high-quality education programs.
About Do It In A Dress
Do It In A Dress is an annual fundraising campaign organised by Australian not-for-profit, One Girl.
Do It In A Dress is about choosing to put on a school dress, having some fun, and standing up for every girl’s right to an education. Through this campaign, participants raise money to support One Girl’s education programs in Sierra Leone and Uganda. To date, Do It In A Dress has successfully raised over $4.4 million dollars, which has helped changed the lives of girls across Sierra Leone and Uganda.
