Today from the Sahel of Burkina Faso to Nigeria via Mali, Niger and Chad, women and girls are the silent victims of the terrorism that decimates the region. It is urgent to deal with the seriousness of the situation and the difficulties encountered, to find solutions for their support. We wish your support for help Empowering women in Sahel and Sahara to end terrorism. Empowering women is going to
be a monumental and nuanced task, especially in the sorts of places from which terrorism stems. But leaving out half the population of a place from its economy is devastating, both to the economy and to that half of the population that doesn't get to participate. Education, particularly literacy is a powerful force, and educating girls and women has all kinds of beneficial side effects. Women are more likely than men to teach their children and others in the community what they know, so the effects of educating women are multiplied. When women are educated, they have fewer children. When women earn money, and have control over it, they are more likely than men to invest it in their families: housing, health care, education, and nutrition. Education, and the economic lift it brings, can deter human trafficking (many victims are poor girls and women who are deemed "worthless") and crime, which bolster the ranks and the coffers of terrorists. Education and literacy also result in people knowing the laws, both civil and religious, by which they live. Knowing your rights empowers you to stand up for yourself.
