Women and girls could add up to $30 trillion to the global economy if all girls completed secondary school.
On International Women’s Day, Malala Fund launched the #FullForce pledge, where supporters around the world can commit to taking action for girls’ education. Whether you’re a student, teacher, parent, business owner or a dedicated ally, everyone can do something to make the world a better place for girls.
The pledge is available in nine languages and provides signers with steps they can take to help girls thrive. A student might agree to learn to code or share Assembly articles about the next generation of female leaders. A business leaders could pledge to invest in a pipeline of female talent by donating a percentage of company profits to girls’ education initiatives.
Organisations, companies and leaders in business and government are already taking the #FullForce pledge and committing to creating a more equal world. Some of the first signers include:
Natalie Deacon, Head of Corporate Affairs for Avon and President of the Avon Foundation for Women
Steve Sarowitz, CEO of Blue Marble
Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, CEO of Celebrity Cruises
Gerd Müller, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany
The European Commission
Girls in Tech
The Government of Norway
Atima Lui, Founder and CEO of Nudest
Angelia Trinidad, CEO & Founder of Passion Planner
Pluralsight One
Starbucks
Kristalina Georgieva, President of the World Bank
"We are proud to join Malala Fund in taking the #FullForce pledge through our commitments to advance women and girls in origin communities, create access to an equitable workplace, and achieve gender equity in pay globally,” shared Virginia Tenpenny, Vice President of Global Impact at Starbucks and Executive Director of the Starbucks Foundation.
Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises, took the #FullForce pledge because educated girls create a stronger, more inclusive workforce: "We live in an incredible time when we are seeing more women taking on larger roles and contributing to the sustainability of our world. This courage and change begins with quality, safe education as the foundation upon which they grow.”
Natalie Deacon, Head of Corporate Affairs for Avon and President of the Avon Foundation for Women, signed the pledge because of Avon’s commitment to supporting women: "If you empower women you really can change the world. Avon’s stand4herprogramme aims to do just that: to build a better world through and for women; to open up opportunities for them to learn and to earn, and to support their health and safety."
The link between girls’ education and economic growth is clear. Women and girls could add up to $30 trillion to the global economy if all girls completed secondary school. But right now more than 130 million girls are out of school — and almost one billion girls and young women are not learning the learning the skills they need to join the modern workforce. Through Malala Fund’s Full Force campaign, we are asking leaders to invest in education so every girl is prepared for her future.
To rally support for the pledge, Assembly published a special Full Force-themed issue, which celebrated girls in STEM and encouraged readers to take action. The issue included a profile about a 19-year-old tech Ethiopian tech entrepreneur and an interview with an all-female team of students building race cars in Pakistan.
Malala Fund also released a video on social media celebrating all that women have contributed to our world — and reminding us how much more is possible.
Malala Fund’s Full Force campaign raises awareness about the link between girls’ education and economic development. For more information visit fullforce.malala.org.
