In the final instalment of the Leaders for Education Series, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, shares her feelings and experiences in securing the rights for all girls and boys. Queen Rania is the UNGEI Honorary Global Chair and UNICEF Eminent Advocate for Children, and dedicates much of her time to the campaign to get the remaining 72 million children into school, who she says, through no fault of their own, are shut out of school and shut down from a life of opportunity.  She points to a devastating combination of fate, conflict, poverty, famine, illiteracy, and ill health which combine to silence their voices. This prompts her to speak up and speak out for them.  Her experience has revealed to her that education works; ‘With an education, people start off on an equal footing with skills and opportunities to make the most out of their own lives. They learn to read and write; they earn more to feed their families; and they improve the lives of those around them.’ Lack of education condemns children to a half life, she argues. She poignantly notes that ‘we’re also losing our best opportunity to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges: poverty, hunger, HIV, climate change, conflict… Education helps solve nearly all of them, and educating girls is the fastest and most efficient way to do it.’

Read more about what Queen Rania has to say to leaders and policy makers and some of Queen Rania’s inspirational encounters with children around the world. The interview is available in full: http://www.ungei.org/247_2494.html