International Day of the Girl: Women’s Power as a Gamechanger for Sustainable Development

As we celebrate International Day of the Girl, it’s clear that empowering women is not just about achieving gender equality (SDG 5)—it’s the linchpin for progress across nearly three quarters of the Sustainable Development Goals. When girls and women are given the tools and opportunities to thrive, they unlock the potential to accelerate action on everything from poverty eradication to climate change.

This blog kicks off a series exploring the Four Ps of Women’s Power—Person, Purse, Politics and Pedagogy. These four pillars represent the ways women can harness their full power to transform societies and help realise a just, sustainable future. Today, we start with Pedagogy, where the journey of women’s empowerment truly begins: with the education of girls.

Pedagogy: The Foundation of Girls’ Power

Schools don’t exist in a vacuum—they reflect and often reinforce the norms of the societies they are part of. For girls growing up in patriarchal communities, schools can either challenge or perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes. That’s why gender-transformative education is so crucial: it’s not just about what we teach, but how we teach.

Education is about more than reading, writing and arithmetic —it starts with these essential building blocks but also expands to shape the way we think, empowering us to challenge injustice and building skills to create a positive impact on the world. At its core, education lays the foundation for individuals to become their best selves and to build equitable, just societies.

In many parts of the world, girls are told what they can and cannot do from a young age—expected to be good daughters, wives, or mothers, but not necessarily leaders, innovators, or decision-makers. Gender-transformative education breaks down all of these barriers, teaching girls that they have the right to make choices that impact their lives, their bodies and their futures. It encourages them to dream bigger and equips them with the necessary skills and confidence to turn those dreams into reality.

A common misconception about gender-transformative education is that it is only about girls, but that is not true.  In reality, it benefits everyone. It teaches boys to question and dismantle the harmful gender norms that have limited their own growth and perpetuated inequality for women and girls. It equips them with the tools to build healthier, more respectful relationships and empowers them to become allies in the fight for a more just, equitable society that works for everyone.

The Power of Education in Conflict Zones

The urgency of gender-transformative education becomes even greater in conflict zones, where barriers to education are steepest. In countries torn by war, internal conflict or natural disasters, schools are often destroyed, and education systems collapse. Girls in these regions face overwhelming obstacles—they are 2.5 times more likely to be out of school than girls elsewhere, and at the secondary level, they are 90% more likely to miss out on education. These stark inequalities underscore the heightened vulnerability of girls in crises, where violence, displacement, and instability disrupt not only their education but also their lives.

For girls in these environments, education is not just transformative—it’s life-saving. When conflict disrupts education, it deepens existing inequalities girls face and strips them of reaching their full potential. Yet, gender-transformative education in these contexts has the power to be a lifeline. It lays the foundation for communities to rebuild stronger and more equitably after conflicts end.

Ensuring girls can continue their education in fragile and conflict-affected areas is more than a humanitarian necessity—it is an investment in the future. Education empowers girls to challenge harmful norms, lead their communities, and rebuild their lives. Without education, the cycle of inequality continues, but with it, girls can become the women who drive transformative change.

In the end, girls’ education is a critical precursor to women’s power. Investing in gender-transformative education, especially in the hardest-to-reach places, lays the groundwork for a new generation of empowered women. Women whose leadership, innovation, and resilience will be gamechangers—not just for gender equality, but for sustainable development as a whole.

Authors: Meti T. Gemechu, Girls’ Rights and Education Activist, Ethiopia and Sabrina de Souza, Director of Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns at Project Everyone, UK.