Malala Yousfazai has become the global symbol for a girls’ right to education – her determination to continue to advocate for equality and justice, in spite of the violence she suffered at the hands of the Taliban, is both crucial and admirable. Yet her strife is by no means an isolated case. More than 30 million girls are denied their right to an education because of a complex range of barriers which keep them out of the classroom, trapped in roles deemed suitable and traditional for their gender, locking them into the cycle of poverty. Gender discrimination, domestic responsibilities, early and forced marriage and the threat of violence and sexual abuse means girls are either absent from the classroom, or their participation is undermined or limited. As a result their learning is severely hindered.
