New report on access to education for adolescent girls with disabilities

Globally, 63 million adolescents are out of school, and adolescent girls with disabilities are among the most excluded. They face challenges like stigma, discrimination, and a lack of support that make staying in school incredibly difficult.  

HI’s new report, released on International Day of Education,  Beyond Access: Ensuring the Continuity of Education for Adolescent Girls with Disabilities, highlights the struggles and levers for adolescent girls with disabilities to stay and progress in education.

The arguments presented in this factsheet are based on the lived experiences of the people interviewed and aim to amplify their voices. 117 interviews were conducted with young people, inclding girls with disabilities, and their parents in Rwanda, Nepal and Senegal.

The objective of the study is to understand the barriers to education experienced by adolescent girls with disabilities and to formulate advocacy messages to address these challenges. 

Key messages from the report: 

• Education is a fundamental human right with a significant effect on individuals and their communities. For girls with disabilities, it improves self-esteem, life prospects and economic independence, while reducing reliance on caregivers and enhancing family well-being. 

• Globally, children and youths with disabilities are significantly overrepresented. The disparities worsen in adolescence, a period of transition in life and education when the risk of dropping out increases significantly. In low- and middle-income countries, 40% of children with disabilities are out of primary school, and 55% are out of lower secondary school (UNICEF, 2021).

• For adolescent girls with disabilities, this risk of dropping out is even greater due to the intersection of age, gender, and disability. Only 41.7% of girls with disabilities have completed primary school, compared with 50.6% of boys with disabilities and 52.9% of girls without disabilities (WHO and World Bank, 2011).

• Deep-rooted stigma around disability and gender, discrimination, and harmful norms disproportionately affect adolescent girls with disabilities, leading to exclusion from education and increased vulnerability to gender-based violence, early marriage, and unequal burden of domestic responsibilities. 

• Economic barriers significantly hinder the educational prospects of adolescent girls with disabilities, as families with limited resources often prioritise investments in caregiving, healthcare and the education of sons over daughters with disabilities. 

• Many schools lack inclusive teaching methods, accessible classrooms, playgrounds and other facilities, and gender-separated toilets, leading to higher absenteeism and dropout rates for girls with disabilities. 

• Girls with disabilities are more vulnerable to abuse, bullying, psychological and physical violence, and gender-based violence. In the absence of protective measures, many girls with disabilities leave school. However, they are also at risk of violence outside of school, as they are twice as likely to experience domestic violence compared to their counterparts without disabilities. This highlights the need for comprehensive safeguarding measures. 

• Without disability-inclusive and gender-transformative policies, adequate investments, and tailored interventions, education systems perpetuate cycles of exclusion for adolescent girls with disabilities. Only by embracing a comprehensive and intersectional approach can we ensure that adolescent girls with disabilities can learn, grow and reach their full potential.

To read the report: Beyond Access: Ensuring the Continuity of Education for Adolescent Girls with Disabilities