Access to education is a basic human right that many women and girls in the Global South are denied. Challenges to accessing and completing education:
- poverty – no money for school costs
- traditional beliefs that prioritize boys’ education over girls
- early marriage and teen pregnancy
- gender-based violence
- lack of menstrual education and supplies keep girls out of school
Worldwide, about two-thirds Source: World Literacy Foundation of the world’s illiterate population are female, and around 130 million girls are out of school. Source: United Nations Timor-Leste
Investing in girls’ education is smart. Women and girls who are educated:
- are more likely to marry later and have fewer and healthier children
- earn more income
- improve the quality of life for themselves, their family, and their communities
- make informed decisions about their lives
- advocate for their rights

