All girls deserve the chance to finish school. But globally 40% of girls don't.
Poverty forces girls’ hands, often into marriage. Conflict puts school out of girls’ reach. Discrimination holds girls back.
But against all odds, girls are determined to learn.
Let's match girls' determination and create change this winter. So that every girl can take a seat in the classroom – and stay there.
why we need change
girls are out of school worldwide
of girls don't finish secondary school
times more likely for girls living in conflict settings to be out of school
'I CAN NO LONGER COME TO SCHOOL...'
The odds are still stacked against girls when it comes to education. Especially as they move through adolescence.
Poverty. Periods. Safety. Access. Discrimination. These are just some of the obstacles that force girls out of the classroom.
We’ve captured some of these in imagined absent notes to teachers. Yet the stories behind them are very real.
Suhad, 14, is no longer going to school due to conflict in Gaza. Agham, 14, fled fighting in Sudan and now lives in a school – but isn’t learning. And Mariam* was forced into child marriage in Mali at age 15.
Read more about the girls behind the notes.
*Name changed to protect identity
YOU CAN HELP GIRLS DEFY THE ODDS AND FINISH SCHOOL
Your gift and her strength can help clear the way for girls to learn.
“I like to study, it’s my main goal”
In Mali, the number of girls dropping out of school is rising at an alarming rate. A complex humanitarian crisis is largely to blame, driven by conflict, poverty and the climate crisis.
Over 1,700 schools have closed. Even where schools are open, the lack of food and deepening poverty often pulls girls from the classroom.
But we can clear the way for girls to learn. In 12-year-old Aminata's school, a new canteen and the chance of a hot meal is improving her odds of finishing school.
"The canteen is great, I really like it," says Aminata. "I appreciate my school as well as the teachers who do an excellent job. I like to study, it’s my main goal."
Donate today to help more girls finish school, once and for all.
Making school girl friendly
Making school girl friendly
Together, we can help remove the barriers that keep girls away from the classroom.
Like making it safer and easier for girls to get to school through bikes and transport.
Or ensuring schools are girl friendly with toilets and clean water to manage periods, and female teachers to provide important role models.
Or making it more affordable for families to send girls to class, with income-generating activities for them, and school meals and learning materials for girls.
Or even providing second chances for girls forced to drop out of school early. Such as through temporary learning spaces for those who’ve been displaced by conflict, and catch-up classes for others to help return to formal education.
Together we can change the odds, one girl at a time. So that every girl can finish school, once and for all.
Read more of Aminata's story and hear from other girls who have stayed in school, against all odds.
Frozen out of education
We marked this year’s International Day of the Girl with an installation in front of London’s Tower Bridge. The installation visually highlighted the fragility of education and the four in 10 girls frozen out of education worldwide.
Lifelike ice sculptures sat among six of the 10 desks, while the four empty desks contained absence notes to teachers. The sculptures were based on girls from Gaza, Sudan and Afghanistan – some of the toughest places for girls to access education. The notes while imagined were based on real girls’ stories and explained what had forced them from the classroom.
All girls deserve the chance to learn. To start and finish their education. No matter who or where they are. Even in poverty. Even in war.
Banner photo: Salimata, 12, learning at her primary school in Mali.