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I created this piece to bring attention to the fact that, right now, more than 60 million girls are missing from classrooms. When girls are young, they are often seen merely as children, but when they start to develop into women, they are suddenly subject to their societies' partialities around gender. It is at this moment when they begin to fall behind in their education. All girls should be allowed to gain the skills and confidence to succeed. They should not be treated as property, but instead as individuals with their unique voices, talents, and freedoms.

I believe that empowering girls, keeping them away from violence, providing them with education, and later, employing them as women, is one of the best ways to ensure that societies thrive and don't fall behind in a global economy. Let Girls Learn. Pyrography, gold and silver leaf, stains, and acrylic on wood panel.

Samanta Tello

samantatello@gmail.com