Advocating to strengthen the right to free education through the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Free education is key to preventing child marriage and securing girls’ rights. Together, we can push for a new international treaty to extend the right to free education around the world.

In this webinar – co-hosted by Girls Not Brides and Human Rights Watch – we discussed the proposal for a new Optional Protocol under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which aims to guarantee free secondary and at least one year of pre-primary education for all.

We expect a resolution to be tabled for the establishment of this Optional Protocol at the June session of the Human Rights Council. In this webinar, we shared practical suggestions and tools, so you can add your voice to our collective advocacy. Check out the resources below and our blog for more ideas!

Poverty often prevents girls from completing their education, particularly when families cannot meet the costs of schooling. This can lead to girls marrying before age 18. Keeping girls in school is one of the best ways to delay marriage: the likelihood of a girl marrying is six percentage points less for every additional year she stays in secondary education.

The proposed Optional Protocol is an important initiative for establishing an explicit right to free secondary education and at least one year of free pre-primary education within a legally-binding international human rights instrument.

This webinar focused on:

• Highlighting the importance of free education for ending child, early and forced marriage and unions (CEFMU);
• What the proposed Optional Protocol is, why it is needed, and how it can protect girls’ right to education and reduce CEFMU;
• Practical guidance on advocating – at the national and international levels – for governments to support the Optional Protocol proposal.

Key takeaways include:

• Education – especially secondary level – is key to preventing child marriage. The more years a girl spends in education, the less likely she is to marry. On average, the likelihood of a girl marrying under age 18 is six percentage points less for every additional year spent in secondary education. With universal secondary education, child marriage would be almost non-existent. The effect of girls’ education is intergenerational. Girls whose mothers are educated are two times less likely to marry under age 18 than girls whose mothers are not.
• Poverty can prevent girls from completing their education. For millions of children, cost is one of the most significant barriers to education, particularly at pre-primary and secondary level. About 85% of all children complete primary school; but less than half complete secondary school or have access to pre-primary education. When education is unaffordable, parents are more likely to take their daughters – rather than sons – out of school.
• To ensure that girls stay in school and fulfil their potential, we need free, quality education from pre-primary through to the end of secondary school. To help achieve this, a new Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child is proposed. It would:
  • Recognise that the right to education includes the right to early childhood education.
  • Recognise a right to free pre-primary education, beginning with at least one year free.
  • Recognise a right to free secondary education for all.
• You can promote the initiative to introduce a new Optional Protocol by calling for your government representative’s support, using this template letter. Member states will vote on this initiative at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in June.
• As participants in the webinar discussed, free education is just one – essential – piece of the puzzle. Quality, gender-transformative education is needed to support all children, shift harmful social norms and contribute to a more equal society. Education infrastructure – including adequate sanitation facilities – must also focus on ensuring adolescent girls’ continuous and safe engagement in education, including during menstruation. It is also important to consider the needs of children living in isolated rural areas and those affected by conflict, as they are most likely to miss out on education and require intentional outreach. Find out more on our education web pages.

We hope you feel inspired to engage your national government in advance of the June UN Human Rights Council!