Letter to the editor: Legislation to keep girls in school vital for quality of life

The Keeping Girls in School Act is an incredibly vital piece of legislation co-sponsored by none of my representatives, Sens. Pat Toomey and Bob Casey and Rep. Guy Reschenthaler. According to The Borgen Project, “Globally, girls aged 10-19 are three times more likely than boys of the same age to be kept out of school. This is particularly true in countries that are affected by conflict. During adolescence, girls are at a high risk of dropping out of school because of forced marriage, pregnancy or family and economic pressures.”

It is proven that quality of education leads to a decrease in violent conflict. If all girls fully complete secondary education, child marriage rates will be reduced by two-thirds, and child deaths will be cut in half. These are incredibly important factors in improving the quality of life for girls.

I urge Congress, especially my representatives, to support this act, and I encourage all to contact their representatives on this issue.

Sarah Minghini

Hempfield

The writer is a second-year political science and communication major at Seton Hill University, Greensburg.