Girls’ education in Africa remains one of the region’s most pressing development challenges, with millions still unable to attend school due to poverty, conflict, gender discrimination, child marriage, and chronic underinvestment. In crisis-affected countries such as Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, girls are often the first to drop out and the least likely to return. Yet extensive global evidence shows that educating girls boosts economies, strengthens democratic participation, improves health outcomes, and breaks cycles of poverty.
Amid these challenges, the Malala Fund—founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai—has become a powerful force advocating for girls’ right to learn. Created in 2013 after Malala survived a Taliban attack for pursuing education in Pakistan, the Fund works to ensure every girl receives 12 years of free, safe, and quality education. Today, it drives policy change, invests in local leadership, expands research, and amplifies the voices of young women demanding equal access to learning. Africa has become a major focus of the Fund due to the scale of the education crisis, with Sub-Saharan Africa recording the highest rates of out-of-school girls globally.
The continent’s need is urgent: nine of the ten lowest-ranked countries for girls’ education are found in Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 32 million primary-school-aged girls are out of school, and one in three girls is married before age 18. Conflict, displacement, and insufficient government education budgets deepen the crisis. The Malala Fund’s approach is not charity-based; rather, it invests in structural reforms through local expertise.
A defining pillar of the Fund’s work is the Education Champion Network, which supports grassroots leaders—teachers, activists, lawyers, and researchers—who work within their communities to remove barriers to schooling. These Champions lead advocacy against child marriage, fight discriminatory laws, push governments to increase education budgets, support girls affected by conflict, and engage communities to shift cultural norms.
Nigeria hosts one of the Fund’s largest African programmes, particularly in regions such as Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa where conflict has left millions of girls out of school. The Fund supports safe-learning initiatives, campaigns against early marriage, strengthens monitoring of education financing, and collaborates with government bodies to advance gender-responsive education planning and school safety. Malala’s high-profile visit to Nigeria in 2017 helped raise global awareness about the country’s education crisis and the plight of the Chibok girls.
Beyond Nigeria, the Fund supports initiatives across Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, and South Africa, tailoring interventions to local needs—from integrating gender-responsive budgeting into policy frameworks to challenging discriminatory practices that once barred pregnant girls from attending school. Research is another major component; through its Girls’ Education Research Grants, African scholars receive funding to investigate issues such as the effects of conflict, climate change, and digital inequality on girls’ learning outcomes.
Changing social norms remains central to the mission. In many communities, early marriage and patriarchal expectations cut short girls’ education. Through community dialogues, engagement with religious and traditional leaders, and media advocacy, the Fund works to shift perceptions and demonstrate the economic and social benefits of educating girls. Research shows that countries can grow their GDP by up to 10% when girls receive secondary education.
The Malala Fund also highlights the increasing link between climate change and education. Extreme weather events—droughts, floods, and displacement—disproportionately affect girls who are often withdrawn from school first. The Fund advocates for climate-resilient schooling systems that prioritize girls’ learning even during environmental crises.
One of the Fund’s most influential contributions is global visibility. Malala’s advocacy at platforms such as the United Nations and international policy forums keeps attention on African girls’ rights, influences donor priorities, and opens doors for young African activists to participate in global decision-making.
Ultimately, the Malala Fund’s work in Africa is a long-term strategy for transformation, not temporary aid. By combining grassroots leadership, policy reform, research, advocacy, and global awareness, it tackles gender inequality from multiple angles. The future of Africa’s development depends on its girls; nations that fail to educate young women risk falling behind economically and socially. Through its integrated efforts, the Malala Fund brings the continent closer to a reality where every girl—regardless of conflict, poverty, or tradition—can learn, lead, and thrive.
