By the Numbers – Lost Opportunities for Girls and Women in Zimbabwe
Considering this evidence, the policy priority should be to keep girls in school longer, at the upper secondary level and beyond, so that they can acquire the skills necessary for good jobs . To that end, programs such as adolescent sexual and reproductive health education and conditional cash transfers may help. For example, a recent World Bank-funded pilot in Buhera district showed that providing menstrual hygiene management kits combined with cash transfers and livelihood grants to adolescent girls and their households increased adolescent girls’ school attendance by 30%, with students not missing school increasing from 29% to 60%.
There are several policy options that can be deployed as pathways to close the gap for women and girls. These include gender-sensitive technical and vocational training connected to labor market demand to build market-relevant skills. After school, programs such as on-the-job training and apprenticeships can help women transition from school to work. Job matching services, career guidance, and work placements can also support school-to-work transitions.
The key? Keep girls in school! Let’s work together to ensure that women and girls are not left behind. This is critical in the attainment of development outcomes, the growth of economies, and the future of our world.
