If countries are to grow and prosper in a way that improves the lives of everyone, they need to make a special commitment to supporting one of the most vulnerable sections of the population: marginalised adolescent girls. Girls who experience extreme poverty, live in rural areas, live with disabilities, are affected by conflict or belong to disadvantaged ethnic groups face the greatest risk of being left behind. In terms of the world’s development ambitions, they are the least likely to complete primary and secondary schooling, part of the fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), and face the greatest barriers in making the transition from school to decent work (SDG 8).
Marginalised adolescent girls should be able to move to livelihood opportunities – not only formal jobs but also informal work and self-employment – that are secure, safe, fulfilling and productive. So that they can make that transition, it is vital to extend their education to 12 years of quality schooling. This will give them chances to acquire the kinds of skills they need, and to look beyond the education system to bring down barriers to their full participation in society.
We discussed this research in the Child Marriage Research to Action Network (the CRANK) research meeting on "Investing in and building the capacity of systems to address child marriage".