According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2024 by the World Economic Forum, it will take another 133 years to close the global gender gap. An unacceptable timeframe that deprives millions of girls and women of the opportunities they rightfully deserve.
This means that none of today’s women will see full gender equality in their lifetime, nor will their daughters or even their granddaughters. It will take another five generations of women.

We don’t want to wait that long. Education is the key to reducing this gap and accelerating progress toward a more equitable world. 119 million girls worldwide are out of school, and many more are at risk of dropping out every single day. Their education cannot wait any longer.

🔴 Why Are So Many Girls Out of School?

Girls face enormous barriers to accessing education, especially in remote and fragile areas. Some of the main causes of female school exclusion include:

• Poverty – The poorest families often cannot afford education costs, such as books, uniforms, and transportation. In many cases, parents choose to send only their sons to school.
• Water, sanitation, and period poverty – In 80% of areas without proper sanitation, women and girls are responsible for collecting water—time taken away from their education and dreams. Sometimes, the lack of separate school bathrooms for girls keeps them from attending school, exposing them to safety risks.
• Period poverty – The inability to afford menstrual hygiene products forces many girls to stay home during their periods, missing lessons, exams, and job opportunities.
• Child marriage and early pregnancies – Every year, 12 million girls are forced into marriage before the age of 18. Once married, many are required to leave school to take care of their homes and children.
• Gender-based violence – Going to school is not always safe for girls. Many suffer harassment, abuse, or discrimination on their way to school or within school premises.
• Disasters, wars, and migration – When a civil conflict or environmental disaster strikes, girls are the first to be pulled out of school. In fact, girls are twice as likely as boys to lose access to education in these situations (UNICEF).

1 La Salle Global Campaign for Women and Girls

At La Salle Foundation, we firmly believe that every girl deserves access to quality education. That is why we are joining the 1 La Salle Global campaign for women and girls – Her Education Cannot Wait, an initiative aimed at ensuring education access for girls and young women in vulnerable contexts.

Projects Supported by the “1 La Salle – Her Education Cannot Wait” Campaign

Through this campaign, we are funding educational projects worldwide, focusing on the most vulnerable areas:

• Menstrual health materials and hygiene courses for girls through the Lasallian Women of Hope multi-country program
• Books and notebooks for 80 girls at Kunda Dia Zayi School in Tumba, DR Congo, along with vocational training courses for girls who have already dropped out of school.
• Scholarships for refugee and indigenous Venezuelan women and girls in the Fratelli Project in Maicao, Colombia.
• Vocational training courses for mothers of our students at CasArcobaleno Scampia, a vulnerable neighborhood in Naples, Italy.
• A new school bus to ensure safe transportation for girls at La Salle College Keesara, India.

And many more projects to guarantee education and training opportunities for women and girls in the world’s most vulnerable areas.

What Happens When You Invest in a Girl’s Education?

• The longer a girl stays in school, the more likely she is to make informed decisions about her future. Educating girls helps prevent child marriage and unwanted pregnancies.
• An educated woman is more likely to become a skilled professional. With access to quality jobs, she can improve her family’s financial situation and lift them out of poverty.
• If she becomes a mother, she will be better prepared to care for her children’s health, nutrition, and education, breaking the cycle of poverty and significantly reducing child mortality rates.

According to UNESCO, every additional year of schooling can increase a country’s GDP by 0.3%.

Investing in girls’ education doesn’t just change lives—it transforms entire communities for generations to come.

Your Support Can Make a Difference

Every donation to the 1 La Salle – Her Education Cannot Wait campaign helps a girl receive the education she deserves. With your support, we can accelerate progress toward a more equitable world and defend every girl’s right to build her own future

Donate today and help bring them back to school