In many countries, girls receive less food and medical attention than boys. They are more likely to be the victims of sexual exploitation, and they begin working earlier for less money. Girls are abandoned on dusty roadsides, sold into prostitution to pay family bills, even killed at birth because sons are preferred. Globally, women can expect to earn 30 to 40 percent less than men. The World Bank reports that more than 70 percent of women over the age of 25 in Sub- Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia are illiterate.
Older women make up the majority of the world s illiterate, a result of historical education trends.
In Afghanistan, girls are now prohibited from attending public school or getting a job outside the home.