Protecting Girls’ Education in Crisis Settings: Why it Matters More Than Ever
By Lucy Philpott, Education Advisor at WUSC
Every year on the International Day of Education, we are invited to reflect not only on the power of education, but on our collective responsibility to protect it. Yet this reflection comes at a moment of growing crisis. Across the world, education systems are being strained by prolonged conflict, forced displacement, climate shocks, and deepening global funding cuts that threaten hard-won progress.
For those of us working in international development, education is not an abstract ideal—it is a daily commitment. It is negotiated in classrooms without walls, in communities displaced by conflict, and alongside girls whose determination to learn persists against extraordinary odds. At a time when millions of children risk being permanently excluded from learning, this moment demands urgent and sustained action.
In my role at WUSC, I see education as far more than classrooms, curricula, and exam results. It is about whether children and young people can belong, feel safe and valued, and thrive—even in the most challenging circumstances. When education systems fail to provide safety and belonging, learning suffers, and young people are left more exposed to exclusion and harm. Education can only truly succeed when it protects dignity and creates space for every learner to reach their potential.
A World Where Girls are Left Behind
Girls in crisis contexts are 2.5 times more likely to be out of school. When their education is disrupted, they face higher risks of early marriage, gender-based violence, and long-term poverty. These impacts extend beyond the individual: the consequences ripple across families and communities, shaping health, economic security, and educational outcomes for future generations. Without safe, inclusive learning spaces, many girls also lose the chance to see themselves as learners, leaders, and decision-makers.
Girls’ Education as a Pathway to Success
When girls are able to access and remain in education, the impact extends far beyond individual achievement. Educated girls are more likely to be healthy, economically independent, and engaged in their communities. They are better able to navigate risk, advocate for themselves, and contribute to collective wellbeing.
Crucially, education provides a space where their voices matter, where they are protected, and where they can develop confidence and aspirations.
For education to truly help girls thrive, it must go beyond simply getting them into school. Girls need learning environments that are safe, inclusive, and supportive, where their voices are heard and their potential is nurtured. Achieving this requires systemic action: families and communities must value and protect girls’ education, teachers must create classrooms where girls can participate and lead, and governments must prioritise, fund, and embed education in long-term strategies for peace, equality, and development. Experience shows that girls benefit fully only when all of these elements come together.
Learning Against the Odds in South Sudan
Nowhere is this more urgent than in South Sudan, where decades of conflict and insecurity have placed an immense burden on the education system. Almost 3 million children—70% of school-age children—remain out of school, and girls face some of the most challenging barriers to education in the world.
Our work in South Sudan is grounded in the belief that education must be safe, inclusive, and responsive if it is to protect girls and enable them to thrive. In a context where so many girls are pushed out of school by poverty, insecurity, and harmful social norms, this means addressing the barriers that prevent them from staying in school, stop them learning whilst they are there, and limit their ability to imagine a different future for themselves.
We support girls to be in control of decisions that affect their education, health, and futures through strengthened Comprehensive Sexuality Education. We create pathways that provide second chance learning opportunities for those who have been forced out of school. We work with teachers to build classrooms that are protective, inclusive, and supportive of girls’ participation and leadership. Beyond the classroom, we partner with communities and governments to strengthen gender-equitable policies and norms, and to ensure that successful approaches can be sustained and scaled—so that progress for girls is not temporary, but transformative.
Crucially, this work is led alongside local partners and educators, whose knowledge and leadership are central to building resilient education systems. Together, we are working to ensure that education in South Sudan is not only accessible, but meaningful—creating the conditions for girls and young people to learn, participate, and begin to thrive, even in the midst of ongoing challenges.
Call to Action
In contexts affected by conflict, displacement, and economic instability, girl’s education is often the first service disrupted and the last restored. This is not an inevitability—it is the result of policy and funding choices. On this International Day of Education, we invite governments, donors and institutions to act decisively: invest in girls’ education where it is most at risk.
Education is not only a right—it is essential for social cohesion, economic participation, and long-term stability. When girls are excluded, the consequences extend far beyond the classroom. The question is not whether we can afford to invest in girls’ education, but whether we can afford not to. Support education where it is most at risk, and help ensure girls are not left behind.