Stepping Stones Toward Gender Equality: Evidence-based approaches to girls’ empowerment

In this briefer, we share the insights gained about improving gender equality from Save the Children Canada’s Girls’ Education Portfolio of projects in Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Nigeria, funded by Canada’s Charlevoix Education Initiative from 2020 to 2023. Together, these projects have positively impacted the lives of over 92,000 girls and their families.

We explore the context for girls’ education in crisis settings, and why a focus on girls’ education is imperative to achieving quality education for all. Next, we share Save the Children’s overall approach to gender-transformative education that promotes girls’ empowerment, and highlight high-level results from all three projects related to girls’ empowerment, as well as attitudes and family support for girls’ education, and safety and security at school. The briefer concludes with a summary of key policy and programming recommendations to advance girls’ right to quality education in fragile contexts.