It’s estimated that right now 129 million girls are out of school – largely because of poverty, violence, gender bias, and child marriage. 

Poverty can mean that if a family must choose which children attend school, they will often choose boys because gender bias within communities can reinforce harmful beliefs about girls’ place in the community, as well as their ambitions and futures. Violence – especially gender-based violence – can make girls feel unsafe either at school, or travelling to and from school, while early pregnancy and child marriage often lead to girls dropping out because of beliefs about marrieds girls’ role in the community. 

Like how you can update your understanding of this critical issue, we’re working to change the beliefs that can hold girls back. 

Through projects like FOUNDATIONS, Save the Children is working in partnership – in countries such as Mali, Niger and Sierra Leone – to provide access to services, and support girls and young women to transform their lives, their family’s lives and their communities.

FOUNDATIONS is conducted in partnership with Sick Kids, Equipop, International Rescue Committee and ODI, and generously supported by Global Affairs Canada, The Slaight Family Foundation, MCIC and The Jewish Community Foundation of Montreal.