GIRLS: Opening doors to education for girls and young women

The Girls Initiative for Resilient Learning and Support (GIRLS) is helping girls and young women stay in school, build skills and shape their own futures.

Funded by the Scottish Government, the project is delivered by Oxfam and our trusted local partners: Concerned Youth Organisation (CYO) in Malawi, and The Young Women’s Christian Associations (YWCA) in Rwanda and Zambia.

I would love to become a doctor one day”

Ester Simon, Malawi

The difference it will make

Over five years, the GIRLS project will support more than 5,000 girls and young women to access, stay in and complete education.

At a glance:

5,000+ girls and young women supported
3 countries
5 years of long-term support
1 shared goal: education without barriers

Behind every number is a girl with more confidence, more choices and a fairer chance at the future she wants.

What the GIRLS project does

The GIRLS project focuses on transformative activities that help to remove the everyday barriers that stop girls learning.

How it works:

Scholarships
Covering school, college and university fees, as well as essential learning costs.
Mentoring and wellbeing support
Including counselling, guidance and safe spaces to help girls stay motivated and supported.
Safer, more supportive schools
Working with communities and teachers to challenge harmful gender norms.
Skills for the future
Supporting learning in science, technology and practical, job-ready skills.

This joined-up approach helps girls not just enrol in education, but stay the course and succeed.

Watch: the impact of the GIRLS summer camp

Hear from participants in the 2025 summer camp in Malawi about the impact on their lives and learning.

Funded by Scotland, making a global difference

This project exists because of Scottish Government funding – and because Scotland has chosen to back girls’ education as a powerful way to tackle poverty and inequality.

Together with our partners, we are making sure that funding is reaching girls, including those with additional support needs and disabled people, who would otherwise be forced out of education, helping them stay in school, keep learning and plan for a future on their own terms.

The project started in 2024 and will run until March 2029.

This is Scotland’s global solidarity in action: practical, long-term and life-changing.

Where the project works

The GIRLS project is shaped by local partners who know their communities best. Each country programme responds to local needs, while sharing the same commitment to girls’ rights and equality.

Malawi

Supporting girls to stay in secondary school and move into science-based and vocational learning.

Scholarships for around 500 girls and young women each year
Support to tackle the barriers that push girls out of school
A focus on safe learning environments

Rwanda

Opening doors to college and university for young women who would otherwise miss out.

Support for 223 young women
A focus on young mothers and girls with disabilities
Scholarships combined with mentoring and wellbeing support

Zambia

Helping thousands of girls complete secondary school and progress into further study.

2,800 scholarships across secondary schools, colleges and universities
Support in 40 schools, including Girl Power Clubs
A strong focus on keeping girls learning through to completion

Why this matters

Across the world, girls are still more likely to miss out on education because of poverty, unpaid care, early pregnancy and discrimination.

When girls are supported to learn, the impact lasts a lifetime – improving health, incomes and opportunities for whole communities.

The GIRLS project shows what’s possible when long-term funding, local leadership and a clear focus on equality come together.

Working together for lasting change

The GIRLS project brings together:

The Scottish Government
Women’s rights and youth organisations in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia
Education and gender ministries at national and local level

By working in partnership, the project is building change that lasts, well beyond the life of the programme.

Watch: Ester’s story from Malawi

Behind the statistics are real people and real change.

Watch Ester’s story from Malawi to see what the GIRLS project can mean in practice – from having school fees covered to getting a bicycle that makes it possible to attend school every day.

This project is funded by the Scottish Government