Overview

Education has a transformative impact on individuals, communities and entire economies. Education is central to the empowerment of women and girls, and provides the key foundation for a productive life.

Girls’ education is a strategic development priority. Evidence shows that girls’ education has a transformational impact on development outcomes. In addition to education being a fundamental human right, educating girls is one of the world's best investments as it offers wide-reaching returns. Educating girls raises economic productivity, and lowers infant and maternal mortality, child marriage, and the incidence of malaria and HIV/AIDS. Educated women have a positive impact on agricultural production, communities' resilience to natural disasters and they take more of a leadership role in decision-making.

Girls who receive an education are more likely marry older, participate in the labour market in a skilled profession, earn higher incomes, have great autonomy over her sexual and reproductive health and choices, and have fewer children. These outcomes reap significant benefits – educating girl’s enables stronger and more resilient economies and reduces poverty and inequalities.

The impacts of COVID-19

School closures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns risk undermining progress worldwide on school enrolment and gender parity in education over the past decades. Across East Asia and the Pacific, the number of girls out of school is expected to increase by nearly ten per cent, with UNICEF estimating at least 1.2 million additional girls are at risk of dropping out of school. Previous pandemics, such as Ebola, showed dropout rates for girls due to: teenage pregnancy; costs associated with schooling and preference to invest in boys’ education; and social norms around domestic duties.

The interplay of poverty, gender, ability, rurality, remoteness and age will be core risk factors shaping the pattern of exclusion from re-attendance at school. Intersecting inequalities, challenging environments and evolving policy delivery create a complex backdrop for access and learning in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Australia's response

The Australian Government's Partnerships for Recovery: Australia’s COVID-19 Development Response outlines Australia’s approach to tackling COVID-19 in our region, pivoting our development program with an emphasis on supporting women, girls and the most vulnerable. Australia has signed on to the Statement of Action to Accelerate Marginalised Girls' Education Outcomes and Gender Equality, reaffirming our commitment to advocate for policies and investments that empower girls in the Indo-Pacific region and globally.

Reducing potential dropouts and ensuring girls return to good quality school is a core priority. In coordination with partner governments, education programs in Asia and the Pacific are focusing on equity and inclusion in face-to-face, distance, blended and online learning models. Please find below some examples of gender-focused programs and resources:

• Empowerment through Education Program, Afghanistan
• Innovation for Indonesia's School Children (INOVASI) Program – Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion Strategy, Indonesia
• Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development - COVID-19 Pacific Girl Survey
• Basic Education Quality and Access Program — Gender and Inclusive Education Strategy (2018),
• COVID-19 and Education: Protecting Child Rights — Practical Resources and Actions for DFAT Staff and Partners (April 2020).

DFAT in partnership with Kore Global, had conducted two Rapid Evidence Reviews in the Asia-Pacific to document what is known about the gendered impacts of COVID-19 on learning and wellbeing.

Rapid Evidence Review: The Impact of the COVID19 pandemic on girls' education and wellbeing in Pacific Island Countries and Policy Summary (April 2022)

DFAT commissioned a rapid evidence review to inform current and long-term public policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to girls' education and wellbeing in the Pacific. Evidence was included from eleven countries: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.

Rapid Evidence Review: The Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on girls' education and wellbeing in South and South-East Asia and Policy Summary (April 2022)

DFAT commissioned rapid evidence review to inform current and long-term public policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to girls' education and wellbeing in SSEA. Evidence was included from eight countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.

Case Studies

DFAT commissioned five thematic and country case studies to investigate the COVID-19 gendered impacts to different dimensions of girls' education and wellbeing:

• The Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on girls' education and wellbeing in Indo-Pacific: Thematic Review: Gender Based Violence and Education (2022)
• Gender equitable education in SSEA and PICs: Comparing girls' and boys' pre- and post-COVID 19 educational outcomes (2022)
• The impact of the pandemic on girls' education and wellbeing in the Indo-Pacific: The need for sex-disaggregated data in the Education Sector (2022)
• The Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on girls' education and wellbeing in Papua New Guinea (2022)

Literature Review on gendered Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on girls' education and wellbeing in the Indo-Pacific

Download

• Gendered Impacts of COVID-19 on Girls’ Education and Wellbeing in the Indo-Pacific [DOCX 110 KB]
• Gendered Impacts of COVID-19 on Girls’ Education and Wellbeing in the Indo-Pacific [PDF 470]

Empowerment through Education Program, Afghanistan

• Innovation for Indonesia's School Children (INOVASI) Program – Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion Strategy, Indonesia
• Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development - COVID-19 Pacific Girl Survey
• Basic Education Quality and Access Program — Gender and Inclusive Education Strategy (2018),
• COVID-19 and Education: Protecting Child Rights — Practical Resources and Actions for DFAT Staff and Partners (April 2020).

Girls education stories

In Kenya's low-income settlements, a hot lunch uplifts education

In Nairobi's informal settlements, Australia is helping the World Food Programme to provide a hot lunch to around 77,000 pupils in 91 schools.

Read more: In Kenya's low-income settlements, a hot lunch uplifts education

Bridging gaps for women in mining

The ability to excel requires perseverance, determination and courage, especially for a woman working in the mining industry in Papua New Guinea.

Read more: Bridging gaps for women in mining

Women studying Electro-technology

Each year the APTC graduates scores of girls and young women – often in areas and trades more traditionally associated with men.

Read more: Women studying Electro-technology

Australia Awardee Brenda Lombange inspires Papua New Guineans living with a disability

Brenda Lombange is a champion and role model for the one in every five Papua New Guineans who live with a disability.

Read more: Australia Awardee Brenda Lombange inspires Papua New Guineans living with a disability