33% of girls worldwide denied education

VIENNA - About one third of all girl population in the world are denied opportunities to education, Rudi Klausnitzer, a board member of children's development organization Plan International, said on Thursday.

Klausnitzer made the comments on the first United Nations International Day of the Girl Child, as he presented a report entitled "Because I Am a Girl 2012," on the plight of girls around the world, the APA reported.

Plan International examined seven African nations to determine the causes of the lack of schooling and highlighted a lack of funds for books, pencils, and school uniforms among others

In many countries girls were also victims of sexual abuse, with early pregnancies another reason why many girls stop going to school.

In Liberia, about two-thirds of those surveyed knew of at least one girl who had become pregnant over the previous two school years. In Ghana 83 percent of parents said they feared their daughters could become pregnant after beginning at school.

Plan also said many girls needed to work up to eight hours a day at home.

Hunger and extreme poverty were two other major problems, and there are instances where parents often prefer to send sons rather than daughters to school if given the choice.

The "Because I Am a Girl" report recommended nine years of education for girls to break intergenerational problems stemming from poverty.