How Social and Cultural Barriers Still Hold Girls Back in Education

Do you know that the privilege of going to school is not given to about 122 million girls in the world? Education is the key to opening new pathways and breaking cycles of poverty. Yet it is held back from millions of girls around the world due to social and cultural barriers. Many girls are denied their right to learn because of outdated traditions, gender stereotypes, or societal expectations. Especially girls in the ages of 15-19 are not likely to be in education because of child marriages. Child marriage still occurs in modern countries like the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. This is a major barrier for girls aged 15-19, and yet approximately 12 million girls under the age of 18 are forced into child marriage every year. 

Families around the world are still gender stereotyping women and are holding them back from education, believing a woman’s place is within the home. Due to this, many women around the world lost the privilege to study and were forced to be maids to their families. Do you know the role of leadership in society is limited to considering a man, particularly of the same race? Women are stereotyped to be emotional and soft; due to this, in our world, the lack of women mentors has increased. Families believe that a girl’s education is less valuable than a male child’s education because they are less likely to abide by the will of the father, brother, or husband. 

Why are families scared to send girls to school? Violence, at school and on the way to school. In 2016, a study in India found that half of all girls were sexually harassed on the way to school. How are girls and their families supposed to be brave without proper protection? 246 million girls and boys around the world face some type of violence every year, but there are higher rates of violence against girls. School-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) refers to the acts or threats of sexual, physical, or psychological violence occurring in and around schools. But still, they send boys to school because one day they believe he will become the head of the family, earn money, and bring pride, while the girl will be married off to another family. 

Around the world, girls are still facing big problems like sanitation and pregnancy. About 16 million girls aged 15 to 19 and some one million girls under 15 give birth every year. Girls get pregnant because of sexual harassment and forced marriages. The leading cause of death of people ages 15-19 is primarily during pregnancy or after, because they are not psychologically or physically prepared. When a girl starts her menstrual cycle, there are many problems she will face. The national studies from Brazil, India, Uganda, and Ghana suggest 30 to 95% of girls miss school during their period. In some countries, girls miss five days of school because they don’t have proper water or hygiene facilities. In many other places, menstruation is taboo and is considered “dirty” when they step outside of their house or a dedicated place.

When we stop girls from education it is not just their loss, it is all of our loss because we lost many future mentors, doctors, scientists and leaders. We can not change all the cultural expectations but we can change our societal expectations, by changing ourselves.

“10 Modern Countries Where Child Marriage Still Occurs.” WorldAtlas, 

www.worldatlas.com/articles/10-modern-countries-where-child-marriage-still-occurs.htm l. 

Anderson, Jill. “Harvard’s Education Podcast: Jennie Weiner on Gender Bias in Education | Harvard Graduate School of Education.” Www.gse.harvard.edu, 1 Apr. 2021, www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/edcast/21/04/unique-challenges-facing-women-education. 

“Periods and Child Marriage: What Is the Link?” Girls Not Brides, 26 May 2017, www.girlsnotbrides.org/articles/periods-child-marriage-link/.

“The Role of Schools in Preventing Violence against Children.” Together for Girls, 21 Apr. 2025, 

www.togetherforgirls.org/en/blog/the-role-of-schools-in-preventing-violence-against-chil dren. 

TheirWorld. “13 Reasons Why Girls Are Not in School on International Day of the Girl Child.” Theirworld, 11 Oct. 2017, theirworld.org/news/13-reasons-why-girls-are-not-in-school/. tkarino. “Girl Goals: What Has Changed for Girls? Adolescent Girls’ Rights over 30 Years - UNICEF DATA.” UNICEF DATA, 6 Mar. 2025, 

data.unicef.org/resources/girl-goals-report/.