Girl Effect’s Global Gender Director, Natalie Au, participated in a Guardian hosted roundtable event – Educating Girls: the key to tackling global poverty – during this year’s UN General Assembly in New York.

The roundtable discussion brought together a panel of experts from the non-profit, academic and private sectors, including UNICEF, Girls Not Brides, Mastercard Foundation and Opportunity International to discuss the UN’s sustainable development goals call for gender equality and a quality education for all by 2030. The panel shared their views on what action was needed to overcome the complex global barriers to not only getting girls into school, but providing a meaningful education as well.

Natalie spoke about the work Girl Effect is doing in Ethiopia with Yegna to spread awareness of girl’s rights through music and radio. She also explained how Girls Connect is helping girls in Nigeria who can’t access formal education, gain access to stories on safety, relationships and friendships. She said, “It’s a very alternative way for girls to be able to access information and explore their curiosities about growing up.”

You can read a full write up of the discussion on the Guardian’s website here.