91Èȱ¬

In the first of a series on the Millennium Development Goals – a set of targets to reduce poverty - we focus on the pledge to eliminate the disparity between boys and girls attending schools by 2015. Ed Butler has travelled to Malawi to hear about a project to keep girls in school. It’s not simply driven by morality but also by the possible economic advantages. Malawi’s leading civil servant at the country’s ministry for Women and Girls, Dr Miri Shower admits reaching the goals will be a tough challenge. Ed travels with Joyce Mkandawire of the Girls Empowerment Network to the rural south of the country to meet mothers as young as 12. We also hear from Ruth Alexander, the 91Èȱ¬â€™s resident MDG expert from the More or Less stats programme. Plus we hear from Malawian teenage mother Christina on how she sees her future.