The African continent has the world’s highest rate of girls leaving school to marry at a young age. Schools in Asian countries such as Laos have less female enrollment because society considers men the breadwinners and women the housekeepers. [...] A group of 21 international high school teachers gathered at the University of Massachusetts Lowell recently to tell their stories and discuss their nations’ efforts to decrease the gender gap in their education systems and workforce.

Teenager Malala Yousafzai — who earned a Nobel Peace Prize for promoting the rights of girls — now holds the highest honor bestowed by the U.N. chief on a global citizen. “It is important for girls to realize that their action and their voice is important, and it is needed right now,” the 19-year-old said after an April 10 ceremony where she was officially designated a U.N. Messenger of Peace. She is the youngest person to be so honored.

Ahead of the International Women's Day on March 8th, ONE Campaign said it had launched its #GirlsCount campaign, an initiative that has rallied citizens and leaders from around the world and in Nigeria to bring a spotlight on this crisis and demand action from global leaders to end this crisis.