An installation of a classroom with 168 empty desks representing the 168 million children living in countries where schools have been closed for over a year. School closures have devastating effects on children's education and well-being as the majority of students worldwide rely on schools as places where they can connect with peers, access health and vaccines, and a nutritious diet.
In fact, the most vulnerable children who do not have access to the internet face the risk of never coming back. Unfortunately, this risk for girls is much greater. An estimated 20 million girls in developing countries will never return to school.
In poor countries only 12% have access to the internet and girls have 26% less access than boys. In addition, girls are the first to be removed from school to look after their younger siblings when there are financial difficulties in the family.
Girls staying at home due to covid-19 makes them spend more time with men/boys and this increases the risk of sexual violence and exploitation, resulting in an increase in teenage pregnancies, unsafe teenage abortions and child marriage .
For many girls school is not only the key to a better future, it is a lifeline and the message of the facility is the need to prioritize their reopening. Equality of educational opportunity leads a society to gender equality.