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Maíra Martins of Malala Fund speaks at “Women in Tech” event in São Paulo

<p>Courtesy of Marco Torelli for Facebook</p>

Courtesy of Marco Torelli for Facebook

In July 2018, Malala Fund announced its expansion to Brazil during Malala’s visit to the country.

Maíra Martins, Malala Fund’s in-country representative for Brazil, delivered the keynote address at a “Women in Tech” event in São Paulo organised by Facebook.

Maíra highlighted Malala Fund’s work in Brazil, a country where 1.5 million girls remain out of school because of racism, exploitation and poverty. In her speech, she emphasised the importance of advocating for girls’ education and their engagement in STEM.

Maíra also discussed Malala Fund’s latest report, Full Force: Why the world works better when girls go to school, which revealed that almost one billion girls and young women lack the skills to succeed in a rapidly changing, technology-driven labour market.

This July, Malala Fund announced its expansion to Brazil during Malala’s visit to the country. Through our Education Champion Network, Malala Fund is investing in local leaders who are researching gender-based violence in schools and advocating for Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous girls’ access to education. Their programmes also train girls to speak out for their right to learn. Malala Fund is currently working with Facebook to connect with girls, start conversations about their education and empower them to generate change.

We believe Brazil can close the gap and get all girls in school in a matter of years — if the country’s leaders increase spending on education, make sure that schools reach the most marginalised girls and give all children an education that promotes gender equality.

To learn more about the Education Champion Network, please visit malala.org/champions.

Author

Hannah Orenstein is associate director of communications and creative at Malala Fund. She oversees Malala Fund's digital platforms, creating campaigns and content to inform and engage supporters with the organisation's work.

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