When you educate a girl everything changes,” says Ann Cotton. She says girl’s exclusion is often the result of deep poverty rather than a cultural decision. Cotton is Founder and President of Camfed, an organisation that works in the poorest rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa, where educating and empowering women and girls is transforming lives.

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Author: Ann Cotton is Founder and President of Camfed, an organisation that works in the poorest rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa.

Image: Children read during a Koranic studies lesson. REUTERS/Feisal Omar.