UNICEF and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) have joined hands for girls’ education in South Asia , a joint media release issued by the UNICEF and ACC said Monday.
According to the release, UNICEF’s Executive Director Carol Bellamy welcoming the launch of the ‘Fair Play for Girls’ Campaign said, “It has been proved time and again that if you cannot get education right for girls, then other development priorities suffer.” Fair Play for Girls recognizes that girls in South Asia face an uneven playing field in life. In South Asia, the majority of 46 million children who are deprived of school education are girls.
The agreement between UNICEF and the ACC will seek to highlight the need to accelerate enrolment and retention of girls in schools, and emphasise the right of children to play, the release further added.
According to the release, the Asian Cricket Council represents 20 cricket boards in Asia and aims to promote and develop the sport in the region. In South Asia, improving educational opportunities for girls is a UNICEF priority. It is particularly emphasized in Afghanistan , Bangladesh , Bhutan , India , Nepal and Pakistan ahead of next year’s target date under the Millennium Development Goals for the achievement of gender parity in primary and secondary education.