Topic:
Country: Denmark
Delegate Name: Giselle Wong
United Nations Women
Access to Education for Women and Girls
Denmark
Giselle Wong, Forest Hills Northern High School
There are around 129 million girls out of school, there are also many women above school age that never got an education. Denmark is aware that not all countries have the resources to provide education for the children in their countries but that doesn’t mean girls don’t deserve the equal education provided to boys. In many regions that have a high number of families unable to send their kids to school, if those families can even just send one child, the majority of the time they favor the boy. Denmark has made an extreme effort to make sure there are equal opportunities for women and girls when it comes to education. We not only strive to get girls into school but also make sure that they feel safe in their classrooms, and make them feel supported and comfortable in pursuing their careers of choice even if it is a male-dominated field.
Equal opportunity and women’s rights are basic principles of Denmark’s politics. We very strongly believe that all women and girls deserve equal rights and opportunities that males have. Education in general is something we take seriously, by 3 years-old 98% of children are enrolled in public kindergartens. Denmark gives access to free primary school education for everyone, with no gender discrimination. To ensure everyone’s education is equal and teaches them all the necessary skills, we have implemented curriculum requirements for all public, private and religious schools. We aim to eliminate all forms of gender discrimination in education which will help get more girls in classrooms because having women get good educations not only helps the individuals but the country as a whole. When girls get a full primary school education they are more likely to not marry young, get better jobs, have higher incomes, and better their lives in general.
In 1814 there was a law passed in Denmark declaring that there would be universal education in Denmark. In the following centuries, more laws and acts were passed giving women more and more rights and opportunities. Denmark understands that there are still many factors in the world that systematically are against women and we will put in an effort to correct those in our society to ensure women and girls truly do have equal education opportunities. With this Denmark strongly encourages all nations to implement laws making the school accessible to all women and girls who wish to get an education and to push for the elimination of gender discrimination against women.
