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Ensure Equitable and Quality Education at All Levels

When girls and women receive a quality education, they will deliver more equitable, healthy, and prosperous societies.

Overview   The Evidence    Ripple Effect   Policy Asks   Solutions in Action  

Educating girls and women is a powerful investment that benefits both individuals and society by helping to improve health, nutrition, social justice, democracy, human rights, gender equality, social cohesion, and economic prosperity for current and future generations.

$15-$30 Trillion
In 2018, the estimated loss in human capital incurred by women not benefiting from 12 years of schooling was estimated to range from $15 trillion to $30 trillion.
40%
40% of children living with disabilities in developing countries do not attend school.
63%
63% of illiterate adults are women.
10-20%
An additional year of secondary schooling for girls can increase their future wages by 10-20%.

Investing in quality education for girls and women creates a ripple effect yielding multiple benefits, not only for individual women, but also for families, communities, and countries. Given the transformative power education has on society, the education of girls and women is a cost-effective investment. Girls and women who are better educated have fewer unplanned children, marry later, and drive national economic growth.

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Invest in Women to Tackle Climate Change and Conserve the Environment
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Invest in Women to Tackle Climate Change and Conserve the Environment
Gender equality is critical to improving the environment and fighting...
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Meet the Demand for Modern Contraception and Reproductive Health
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Meet the Demand for Modern Contraception and Reproductive Health
A woman’s access to modern contraception, reproductive healthcare, and the...
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Ensure Health For All
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Ensure Health For All
Healthy girls and women are the cornerstone of healthy societies.
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Respect, Protect, and Fulfill Sexual Health and Rights
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Respect, Protect, and Fulfill Sexual Health and Rights
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  • Create and enforce legislation, policies, plans and budgets that promote gender equality in and through education at all levels, including legislation for a compulsory 12 years of free, safe, gender-responsive quality schooling.
  • Reduce or eliminate the direct and indirect costs of schooling placed on families and communities across all levels of education.
  • Work with young people, families, faith groups, and communities to raise awareness on the importance of educating girls and to change harmful gender norms.
  • Ensure gender-responsive education systems, which remove gender bias from curriculum, textbooks, and pedagogy; as well as safe transportation; safe environments in schools; and appropriate water and sanitation infrastructure, such as menstrual hygiene management facilities and products.
  • Ensure the provision of comprehensive sexuality education that aligns with the UN’s 2018 International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education implemented fully in schools and out of schools.
  • Invest in provisions that protect girls’ access to education and skills-building opportunities in humanitarian and conflict settings.
  • Scale up education initiatives that focus on out-of-school children and children with limited access to education, including children living with disabilities and indigenous peoples.
  • Invest in programs offering girls and women marketable skills through internships, apprenticeships, mentoring programs, and training opportunities.
Explore the Policy Brief
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