Girls’ Empowerment to Stay in School in San Miguel [] Midday Rotary

Published May 20, 2023

By Ann Kuffner

When girls in Mexico reach the ages of 10 to 12, statistics show that 75% of them lose their self-esteem. They miss up to 25% of their education and risk dropping out of school. Gender disparity and generational poverty are problematic especially in rural communities.

The Secretary of Education of Guanajuato agrees with the serious nature of this issue. He has embraced an educational solution proposed by the Rotary Club of San Miguel de Allende. The result was approval of a curriculum and a signed contract last January.

Members of the Rotary Club of San Miguel and Carla Cadena Rios, a volunteer, will explain the Girls’ Empowerment Program. This program educates fifth and sixth-grade girls about their bodies as well as how to embrace being a girl becoming a woman. It teaches them to have self-confidence, self-esteem, and a positive self-image. They are taught how to be “sanas, seguras, y sabias,” healthy, safe, and wise.  It empowers them—through education and resources—to stay in school.

Funds being raised to support the program cover the costs of the teachers’ salaries and the reusable hygiene kits given to the girls. Volunteer drivers transport the teachers to the rural community schools of San Miguel five days a week to teach the program. From January through March almost 500 girls took part in the five-day/ten-hour program. The goal is to reach 2,000 girls in the first year.

Learn more about the Girls’ Empowerment Project

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