Girl's Education

Poverty, discrimination and exploitation keep millions of girls out of school. What's more, half of all girls in developing countries don't even finish primary school. This represents a very limited future for not only millions of girls but entire communities and countries.

World Vision's Approach to Girl's Education

Girls and boys have the right to education. World Vision works to make sure girls get into and stay in school and supports their learning and life skills by promoting an equitable home, community, and school environment that encourages learning for both girls and boys. World Vision also works with wider Education systems on equitable and effective policy and resourcing, as well as addressing broader harmful social and gender norms and practices that marginalises children, including girls.

Why focus on Girls' Education?

Why investing in girl's education right now is essential

Education gives girls the potential to earn better wages, raise healthier and more educated children, and have a voice in their community.

An extra year of primary school education boosts girls’ eventual wages by 10–20 percent. An extra year of secondary school adds 15–25 percent.
Education is associated with increased contraception use, less underage premarital sex, and lower HIV/AIDS risks.
When a girl in the developing world receives seven years of education, she marries four years later and has 2.2 fewer children.
Women invest 90 percent of their income in their households, as opposed to men’s 30-40 percent, leading to healthier, better-educated children and families.
Women’s labour force participation can lead to reduced poverty, greater political participation, increased agency, and assertion of their rights at the household and community levels.

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World Visions' Approach to Girls Education

Girls’ education: Integrated approaches for sustainable results

There are many barriers to educating girls. Some must work to help their families, or stay home to care for younger siblings. Other girls simply don't have the money for educational fees or school uniforms. Parents and communities may not understand the importance and benefits of girls’ education, or schools may not be safe places, especially for girls and other children that experience marginalisation. Early marriage practices, gender-based violence, and pregnancy may keep girls out of school too. World Vision's approach works across sectors such as Faith & Development, health, child protection, WASH, and livelihoods. Girl's Education programming also involves an array of complementary World Vision project models Including:

Unlock Literacy
Safe and Nurturing Schools, to create a positive and violence-free learning environment;
Channels of Hope for Gender, which engages and mobilises faith communities to address gender-based violence and attitudes; and
Citizen Voice and Action, World Vision’s proven local-level advocacy approach for social accountability.