Eleanor Laing supports Send my Sister to School campaign

Epping Forest MP Eleanor Laing is supporting a campaign which is focusing attention on the 67 million children – a disproportionate number who are girls - in the developing world who are missing out on primary education.

An exhibition will be held shortly in Parliament showcasing the engagement of more than 6,000 UK schools in the Send my Sister to School campaign.

Mrs Laing has been contacted by Davenant Foundation School and received more than 460 postcards about the campaign from local students who are also supporting the initiative.

Mrs Laing also spoke about the campaign during a debate on UN Women in the House of Commons last March.

Mrs Laing said: “If we take the empowerment of women seriously, then across the world, and especially in developing countries where it is so desperately needed, we must give women the chance of good health and good education, to develop skills and contribute to the workforce, and to give their children the health and education that will strengthen future generations.

“If we empower women, we will let them teach their children that co-operating,living together in peace and respecting other people is a more worthy ideal than the old-fashioned way of fighting for territory and proving oneself the stronger man.

"Women earn only ten per cent of the world’s income, even though they work two thirds of the world’s workinghours— and I bet that does not include looking after the children. Evidence shows that when women earn and manage their own money, they are more likely than men to spend it on educating and feeding their children.

“Wasting the potential skills and abilities of half the world’s population because of discrimination is simply appalling.

“If we really want to help developing nations, as well as continuing to help our nation, Europe and the western world, we must recognise the role of women.”