Education is not only a pathway to social and economic choices for women and girls; it is one of the most powerful for economic development. Education opens the doors to better employment opportunities for women. This means more stable incomes for households with women balancing work and family, plus opportunities to reinvest these earnings from their income back into their families and communities.
Educated women lead to healthier children, stronger households, and more local economies around the world.
Simply put, when women lead, more lives are saved. Communities become more resilient, and the cycle of poverty begins to break.
At CARE Australia, we’re talking about how giving women and girls access to education helps fight poverty – after all, leadership starts with learning.
Why Education for Women & Girls Matters
The Link Between Education and Economic Growth
Studies by the World Bank have found that increasing female education levels by just 1% can raise a country’s GDP by up to 0.3%. Countries with higher female literacy rates consistently do better in terms of economic growth and development.
Educated women and girls drive new ideas, start businesses, and increase productivity. They are more likely to join the workforce and take on leadership roles, making choices that benefit their families and communities.
Getting access to school is only the first step. Many girls, especially in multilingual or marginalised communities, face other challenges (like language barriers).
This is why CARE advocates for an approach to education that helps defeat poverty through multilingual education. Girls who learn in a language they understand are more likely to do well in school, stay in class longer, and get better job opportunities. Teaching in multiple languages helps make education fairer and reaches the girls who need it most.
Education as a Human Right
Every girl has the right to learn. It’s not just something CARE believes: it’s recognised around the world. The right to education is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Yet, too many girls are still denied this basic right.
Education is about more than just fairness. Girls have a right to the same opportunities as boys to ask questions, build skills and imagine a future that’s greater than their current situation.
In times of conflict and crisis, this right is often lost. Today, women and girls in Gaza are being denied the right to education as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens. Schools have been destroyed, safety is tenuous, and many young women have had their education stalled indefinitely, some perhaps forever. Without an education, the road to secure employment is all but impossible.
That’s why CARE Australia not only works to protect education in emergencies, but also to build back access and opportunity. Our programs go beyond the classroom; they create pathways for girls and young women to learn, earn, lead, and make choices about their own future.
Whether it’s through skills training or language classes, or supporting girls to return to school following a conflict, we focus on restoring more than just education. We’re working to restore hope and real options for the future.
Barriers to Education for Women & Girls
Gender Discrimination
In many communities, cultural expectations still favour boys when it comes to education. When families can only afford to send one child to school, it’s often the boys who go, while girls are expected to stay home – helping with housework, caring for siblings, or preparing for early marriage. These pressures come early, and they’re deeply rooted in tradition.
Girls also face greater risks of harassment and violence, both on the way to school and in the classroom. Without safe spaces to learn, many leave school long before they finish. Some never get the chance to start at all. And when a girl is pulled out of school, it’s not just her education that’s cut short; it’s her confidence, her independence, and her future earning potential.
But there’s another layer to this that often goes unspoken: the role climate change plays in deepening these inequalities. In many of the countries where CARE works, women tend to carry the climate load. They’re the ones walking further for water, managing food shortages, and caring for sick family members when crops fail or heat waves hit.
This is why climate change is an equality issue. It doesn’t affect everyone the same way. Rising temperatures, extreme weather, and food insecurity all add pressure to already stretched households, and too often, the cost is a girl’s education.
CARE works to address both the visible and invisible barriers, advocating for policies that protect girls, supporting families through economic and climate shocks, and helping create safer, more inclusive schools.
Conflict and Displacement
Women and children are the most vulnerable in any humanitarian crisis, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the classroom.
When war breaks out or natural disaster hits, education is often one of the first things lost. Schools are damaged or destroyed. Teachers flee. Families are forced to leave everything behind – including the opportunity to learn. Even when they find relative safety in refugee camps or temporary shelters, consistent education is rarely guaranteed.
But while boys may return to school when the dust settles, girls often don’t. In too many cases, their childhood ends in a single decision made in desperation.
Girls who were once excited about learning are now navigating life as brides, workers, or caregivers. It’s a quiet crisis that rarely makes the headlines – but the effects last for generations.
Lack of Infrastructure and Resources
Something as simple as the absence of a private toilet can mean the end of a girl’s schooling. For girls who are menstruating, having no access to hygiene facilities at school means staying home – sometimes for days each month. Over time, these absences add up, leading to lower performance, dropout, and ultimately, the loss of a future that could have looked entirely different.
Even before they reach the classroom, financial barriers loom large. School fees, uniforms, books, and transportation, these aren’t minor costs for families living in poverty.
How You Can Help Elevate Women & Girls
Advocate for Global Education Funding
It’s not enough to believe in the power of education; we have to act on it. Around the world, conflict, inequality, and poverty are still keeping millions of girls out of school. That won’t change unless we push for policies that prioritise their right to learn (especially in times of crisis).
You can help.
Contact your local representatives. Call for funding that supports international education initiatives. Urge decision-makers to protect schooling in emergencies and support programs that break down the barriers keeping girls from learning.
Because behind every statistic is someone like Marlena.
Marlena and her husband used to manage their cocoa farm in traditional ways – he worked the land, she stayed behind the scenes. But after joining a CARE training program, they both learned the power of partnership. The training didn’t just teach them better farming techniques; it opened up conversations about shared responsibility, gender roles, and how small changes could lead to big progress.
By dividing the workload more equally, Marlena found space to grow her confidence, contribute to decisions, and invest more in her children’s future. It challenged generations of social norms that kept women in poverty. And it worked.
Now, imagine what Marlena could do with the right opportunities in her hand – access to education, leadership training, financial support, and the full backing of her community and government. She’s already building a better life for her family. With the right tools, she could transform her entire community.
Let the World Know That Women & Girls Matter
Keeping girls’ education on the global agenda takes more than belief. It takes voices. Persistence. And people willing to speak up. That’s why CARE pushes for real, lasting change (from funding education in emergencies to challenging the policies that hold girls back).
Join us. Whether you’ve got time, money, a platform (or just your voice), there are ways for everyone to give. That might mean signing a petition, emailing your local MP, fundraising with your friends, or simply starting a conversation that shifts someone’s thinking.
No matter your financial situation or background, CARE makes it easy to take action. If you’re not sure where to start, contact us. We’ll connect you with opportunities that match your capacity and passion.
Because everybody deserves to be heard. And together, our voices can carry further than we ever imagined.
Support this change. Donate to CARE today.
