Millions of girls are missing out on their right to education because of persistent gender discrimination and lack of investment in education. But girls are standing up against the forces holding them back — and so are we.
Strengthening rights
Strengthening girls’ right to secondary education is critical to achieving a more equal world. We advocate for governments and global institutions to uphold this right and implement the policies needed to realise it. We also protect girls’ right to learn when crises interrupt their education. Our work ranges from advocating to end child marriage in Nigeria to prevent girls’ dropout to supporting alternative learning programmes for Afghan girls banned from secondary school.
Securing resources
Increasing public school budgets helps more girls complete school by funding teacher salaries, safe transportation, suitable school buildings and more. We advocate for governments and global institutions to increase education funding and invest the resources to realise girls’ rights. Our work ranges from advocating for budgets to recruit more teachers in Pakistan to pushing for global debt reform so lower-income countries have more resources to invest in girls’ education.
“…We must must bring girls and governments together with activists and educators, parents and community leaders.”
“…We must must bring girls and governments together with activists and educators, parents and community leaders.”
Grantmaking
Malala Fund believes that local advocates who understand their communities are best placed to lead solutions to their challenges. Through our Education Champion Network, we invest in civil society organisations to advocate for policies that ensure girls can access and complete school in places where they face the greatest education barriers. We aim to allocate at least 20% of our grants to organisations led by girls or young women.
In crises, we act swiftly to protect girls’ right to education by mobilising grants to organisations that keep girls learning and prevent them from dropping out.
Advocacy
Girls deserve more than promises for their education — they deserve action. Malala Fund advocates for bold policies and increased education funding to ensure every girl can access and complete school. Our global advocacy confronts two critical challenges to girls’ education: rollbacks in gender equality and girls’ rights, especially in Afghanistan, and unjust global financing systems that restrict lower-income countries’ ability to invest in their education systems.
In Nigeria and Pakistan, we advocate directly alongside grantee partners to ensure policies and government budgets enable more girls to access and complete secondary school.
Our strategic plan
2025-2030
Global progress to ensure all girls can complete secondary school is stalling. Malala Fund’s strategic plan lays out our bold vision to accelerate progress in the coming years. We are working to break down the systemic barriers that keep girls out of school, drive policies that secure their right to secondary education and unlock the resources needed for transformational change.
Support Malala’s fight for girls’ education
With more than 122 million girls out of school today, she needs your help to reach the most vulnerable girls denied an education.
Your gift today is an investment in Malala Fund's work to help girls around the world go to school.
