USAID Girls Leadership and Empowerment Through Education (USAID GLEE)

Adolescent girls in Mali confront a host of barriers to educational access. Although enrollment rates have risen over the last 20 to 30 years, a gender gap persists nationally; girls are enrolled at a much lower rate than boys. But there is a mutually reinforcing relationship between adolescents’ health and their educational attainment. When they receive quality education, women are empowered to make better decisions about their health and that of their families. In turn, improved health, especially in regards to childbearing, improves access to education for women and girls. Building upon other programs, this project supports and leverages efforts by the Government of Mali and civil society to increase educational opportunities for adolescent girls by decreasing barriers to their quality education, improving their safety in school and their communities, and increasing their knowledge and adoption of positive health behaviors.