Since COVID-19 hit in 2020, the scale of global school closures was unprecedented. The impact of this is still being felt today.
More than 20 million girls are expected to lose access to their education permanently following the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s in addition to the 130 million girls already missing out on an education.
Not only are these girls being denied the education they need to create a life they want, they’re being denied crucial support services that help protect them from gender-based violence, child marriage and the loss of their reproductive rights.
Because of the setback in girls’ education, the next decade could see:
31 million more cases of gender-based violence
13 million more cases of child marriage
7 million more cases of unintended pregnancy
2 million more cases of female genital mutilation (FGM).
Unless we act now, and protect girls access to education.