At Action Education, defending women's rights around the world is a daily commitment. From Geneva to Dakar, via Chennai and Phnom Penh, our projects help to reduce gender inequalities and support the social and economic emancipation of women through education.

In a world undergoing profound change, guaranteeing girls' access to education is not just a question of equity. It is also an essential condition for global stability and for the full participation of women in the development of societies. Education is the foundation on which many other rights can be exercised: health, protection, economic autonomy and civic participation.

A particularly fragile international context

While recent decades have seen significant advances in women's rights, this progress is now under threat. The Covid-19 pandemic, combined with current geopolitical tensions, has contributed to a worrying decline in certain gains. We are facing an accumulation of crises that expose girls and women to increased vulnerability.

• The proliferation of crisis zones. The intensification of armed conflicts and security instability have a direct impact on school attendance. According to UN Women (2025), in crisis zones, girls are twice as likely to be out of school as boys. Forced displacement, the collapse of public services and insecurity often force families to take girls out of school. They are then forced to support the household or marry early in order to «secure» their future.
• The challenge of international financing. At the same time, there has been a worrying downturn among donor countries. The reduction in Official Development Assistance (ODA) budgets in a number of Western countries is seriously undermining education programmes. In particular, international funding for education is expected to fall by 25 % between now and 2027. This withdrawal threatens the survival of many educational structures, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
• Persistent systemic barriers. The rise of certain conservative currents and identity-based attitudes is also challenging women's autonomy. Against this backdrop, the case for girls' education is more vital than ever: schools remain one of the strongest bulwarks against the erosion of fundamental rights.

A woman in India in front of her sewing machine. Purnia district, December 2025. ©AE India

Education: a major lever for transformation

In the face of these threats, education remains one of the most powerful tools for transforming the lives of half of humanity over the long term. Investing in girls' schooling generates lasting social and economic benefits.

• A global emergency. Today, 122 million girls still do not attend school. Added to this is the issue of literacy: almost 500 million women in the world cannot read or write, which severely limits their participation in economic and civic life (UNESCO, 2025).
• An engine for development. Each additional year of secondary education can increase a girl's future income by around 20 % (UNICEF). Investing in girls' education thus contributes directly to a country's economic development.
• A multiplier effect. An educated woman is more aware of her rights, is better able to protect her health and that of her children, and is better able to resist social and family pressures.

Learning to read, write and count means acquiring the essential tools for choosing one's future, preserving one's health and participating fully in society.

In the district of Oudomxay, a woman works at making brooms, which are then sold on the market. Laos, 27 November 2025. AE Laos

Our actions: local responses for a global impact

Action Education implements concrete solutions, built with local communities, so that every girl can access education and become an independent woman.

In Africa: promoting education and integration

• Burkina Faso : SCOLFILLE project

Against a backdrop of conflict and population displacement, we are working to remove the obstacles to girls' education. In particular, this involves setting up bridging classes to maintain educational continuity.

Our teams also carry out social mobilisation initiatives, strengthen the skills of key community players and support educational coaching to combat early marriage, gender-based violence and other forms of exclusion.

Practical solutions are also being put in place, such as the distribution of hygiene kits and the improvement of sanitary facilities in schools, the lack of which is a major cause of absenteeism among teenage girls. Since the project was launched, 2,000 young girls have received support.

• Madagascar : SANDRATRA project

In Antananarivo, this project is aimed at young single mothers who often have no schooling and are stigmatised. By offering them vocational training leading to qualifications in sectors such as handicrafts, sustainable agriculture and digital technology, we are giving them the means to achieve financial independence, a real safeguard against insecurity and domestic violence.

A total of 900 young women have already benefited from this support.

In Asia: supporting inclusion and entrepreneurship

• Laos and Vietnam : EGFPE project

This programme focuses on women from ethnic minorities living in isolated rural areas. By combining education with the development of entrepreneurial skills, we help them to become recognised economic players in their communities.

Since 2026, 3,280 women have been supported as part of this multi-country project.

• India : ENLIGHT project

In marginalised urban areas, particularly the slums of Chennai, we are working to secure girls' education. The school then becomes a place of protection against child labour and a gateway to skilled employment opportunities.

Over the last ten years, more than 2,500 girls in 13 Indian towns have been supported, from their schooling to their professional integration.

Mobilising for equality

Time is running out. The year 2026 could be a turning point. According to UNICEF, if the current trend of reduced funding continues, 6 million more children - the vast majority of them girls - could be excluded from the school system.

The number of out-of-school children has already risen by 6 million since 2021., 250 million. Your support is essential to guarantee our independence and maintain these vital programmes.

Gathering on 8 March

To mark International Women's Rights Day, Action Education Switzerland is encouraging you to take part in the marches organised in many towns and cities across the country, as a reminder that education must never become an adjustment variable in international budgets.

Together, let's build a future where every woman has the keys to her own emancipation.