Getting girls into school is the first step. The next step is making sure school helps them grow into confident, skilled young women who can shape their own lives.
This is what “empowering girls” through education means. It is about more than passing exams. It is about confidence, a voice, digital skills, and the belief that no subject or career is off-limits.
This article looks at five areas where education empowers girls, the gaps that still exist, and simple steps parents and teachers can take.
1. Confidence and Self-Belief
Confidence grows when girls are given chances to speak, lead and try new things, and when effort is praised. Harvard Health notes that resilience is a skill children can learn, with caring adults playing a key role.
How to build it:
- Ask girls for their opinions at home and in class.
- Praise effort and problem-solving, not only neatness or good behaviour.
- Let them try, fail and try again without shame.
2. Voice and Leadership
School is often where girls first lead a group, speak in public or stand for a class role. These experiences build skills they will use for life.
How to build it:
- Encourage girls to join debate clubs, student councils and sports teams.
- Make sure leadership roles are shared fairly between girls and boys.
- Invite women leaders from the community to speak at school.
3. Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM)
STEM careers are growing fast and often pay well. Yet UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring team reports that women make up only about 35% of STEM graduates worldwide, with no progress over the past decade. UNESCO also found that girls’ confidence in maths is often knocked early, even when they do well.
How to build it:
- Tell girls clearly that they can be good at maths and science.
- Avoid saying things like “girls are not good at maths”.
- Find female role models: engineers, doctors, programmers, scientists.
- Support science fairs, coding clubs and robotics groups for girls.
4. Digital Skills
Digital skills open doors to online learning, jobs and information. The International Telecommunication Union reports that in 2025, 71% of women used the internet compared with 77% of men, a gap of about 280 million people.
How to build it:
- Give daughters the same access to phones and computers for study as sons.
- Teach online safety and privacy.
- Encourage free online courses and educational videos.
5. Economic Independence
Education gives girls the skills to earn their own income. This gives them more choices about marriage, family and career.
How to build it:
- Talk about careers and income from an early age.
- Teach basic money skills such as saving and budgeting.
- Look for scholarships and training. Our list of scholarships for high school students is a good start.
What Holds Girls Back
- Stereotypes about “girls’ subjects” and “boys’ subjects”
- Heavy household duties that leave little time for study or activities
- Safety concerns that limit after-school clubs or travel
- Early marriage that ends schooling
- Few role models in certain careers
Read about these barriers in more depth in our guide to girl child education.
A Checklist for Parents
- Do my daughter and son have equal study time and chores?
- Do I encourage her interests in all subjects?
- Does she have access to books, internet and learning tools?
- Have we talked about her dreams for the future?
- Do I support her finishing school before marriage?
A Checklist for Teachers
- Do I call on girls and boys equally?
- Do my examples include women in science and leadership?
- Do I avoid comments that link ability to gender?
- Do girls have fair access to labs, computers and sports?
- Do I follow up if a girl’s attendance drops?
Frequently Asked Questions
What does empowering girls through education mean?
It means using school to build girls’ confidence, skills and independence, not just their exam results.
Why are fewer girls in STEM?
UNESCO points to stereotypes, low maths confidence and a lack of role models. These can be changed with support at home and school.
How can fathers help?
Fathers can show strong support for daughters’ education, share household work and encourage ambitious career goals.
Key Takeaways
- Empowerment means confidence, voice, STEM and digital skills, and income.
- Women are still only about 35% of STEM graduates worldwide.
- A digital gender gap remains in internet use.
- Parents and teachers can make a big difference with simple daily actions.
For the life-long benefits of education for girls, see the importance of girl child education.
