Opportunity & choice for girls & women
Ensuring girls and women have opportunity and choice is key to eradicating poverty. When girls can learn, work, live free from violence and participate on an equal footing, everyone benefits.
Introduction
When girls can safely learn, work and participate on an equal footing, everyone benefits. They face greater risks from the impacts of climate change, economic shocks, educational barriers and poor nutrition. That is why progress across every area of our work at CIFF is deeply relevant to advancing outcomes for women and girls.
Investment case
Investing in women and girls’ opportunity and choice is a core driver of wellbeing and economic growth. Here are some examples, from ending poverty and hunger to promoting health, education, and climate action.
Each extra year of a girl’s secondary education is correlated with an 20% increase in her future earning potential, benefitting girls, families and whole communities.
Similarly, investing in family planning and maternal health has far-reaching ripple effects. Every $1 invested yields eight times more ($8.40) in economic benefits.
Every two minutes a woman or girl dies from preventable causes related to pregnancy or childbirth, while nearly half of all pregnancies worldwide are unintended.
Adolescent mothers in particular face a higher risk of complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
Ensuring that those who want contraception have access to it both empowers women and saves lives.
Increasing opportunity for women and girls helps countries to achieve their development and climate goals, as well as helping us all progress towards the global Sustainable Development Goals. Through access to economic opportunities, women can lead healthy and empowered lives whilst also contributing to productive economies.
An example of this is that women play a key role in food production, producing 80% of food in low-income countries.
An investment in women and girls is an investment towards healthier, more sustainable futures.
Our women and girls priorities
Sexual and reproductive health and rights
Our goal: To ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health.
Ending child marriage
Our goal: To protect millions of children from child marriage globally, with a focus on Africa and India.
Women’s economic empowerment and skilling
Our goal: To create skilling and employment pathways across Africa and India that help women achieve economic independence, unlocking powerful multiplier effects such as improving family wellbeing, increasing national productivity, and promoting sustained long-term growth.
Girls’ education
Our goal: To provide access to high-quality education for girls across Africa and India.
Related regions and programmes
Read more about women and girls in the different regions and areas we work.
Other global opportunities
