President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said, according to the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in 2012 an estimated 58 million children of primary school age were out of school, 53 per cent of them girls.
 
The Liberian leader made the statement in a presentation at the High Level Discussion held in Johannesburg, South Africa on June 14 on the 25th Extraordinary African Union Summit Theme:  “Years Of Women’s Empowerment And Development Towards Africa Development Agenda 2063.”
 
 She said about one-third of children out of school in the world live in West and Central Africa.
 
According to her, provision of quality education and training opportunities for girls (both formal and informal) is a catalyst in attaining sustainable development in West Africa, especially amidst progress on the Post-2015 Agenda.
 
She welcomed the High Level Discussion on the theme of the Summit.
 
“As Heads of State and government we must hold true to the commitments adopted in the AU Protocol on the Rights of Women (Maputo Protocol) in 2003, the Maputo Plan for Action on Sexual and Reproductive Rights in 2006, and all other international instruments on women’s rights,” she added.
LINA GDJ/PTK