Recent reviews of climate, risk and capacity assessments from our programmes highlighted a concerning trend: in some contexts, girls and women have significantly lower levels of climate change awareness and education than boys and men. While all children need access to quality education and opportunities to understand climate change, evidence shows that marked gender inequalities in climate knowledge persist.
This matters because climate change is already reshaping children's lives and educational opportunities worldwide. An estimated 200 million adolescent girls living in low-resource settings face heightened climate-related risks, making climate education for girls more important than ever for advancing gender equality, strengthening resilience and supporting effective climate action1.
Climate-related disasters disrupt education in ways that often affect girls disproportionately. Beyond school closures and damaged infrastructure, climate shocks can increase girls' exposure to violence, exploitation and child marriage, making it harder for them to stay in education2. In parts of the Sahel in Africa, for example, girls living in areas affected by conflict and climate change often have lower awareness and understanding of climate issues than boys3. Climate hazards can also reduce girls' access to education, leading to lower educational attainment and further reinforcing existing inequalities4.
Addressing this gap is not only a matter of rights and equity. Girls and women play critical roles within families, communities and local economies. Without access to climate information and education, girls are less able to anticipate risks, adapt to changing conditions and participate in decisions that shape their futures.
WHAT CAUSES THE GAP?
Gender disparities in climate knowledge often mirror wider inequalities in education and access to information.
In Afghanistan, for example, a recent assessment found that only around one-third of children surveyed were familiar with the concept of climate change, despite many having experienced multiple extreme weather events. The same assessment found gender differences in climate knowledge among children, teachers, parents and caregivers5.
In many contexts, girls continue to face barriers to education due to poverty, discrimination, restrictive social norms, conflict and displacement. Climate-related disruptions add another obstacle. When girls miss out on education, they also miss opportunities to learn about climate risks, disaster preparedness, environmental stewardship and climate adaptation.
The problem is compounded by the fact that climate education itself is often under-prioritised. UNESCO research found that climate change was absent from nearly half of national curriculum frameworks reviewed globally, highlighting a significant gap between the urgency of the climate crisis and what children are learning in school6.
As climate pressures increase, there is a real risk that girls' education could once again become deprioritised, reversing progress made over recent decades.
WHY IS THIS A PROBLEM?
Children are among those most vulnerable to climate change. Rising temperatures, flooding, droughts, environmental degradation and extreme weather events threaten their health, safety, wellbeing and education. Compared with adults, children are often less able to cope with the physical, psychological and social consequences of climate-related shocks7.
However, climate change is not gender neutral. Existing inequalities mean that girls often experience climate impacts differently and, in many cases, more severely. As research shows, climate vulnerability is shaped by gender inequalities and can reinforce existing power structures and social norms8.
During droughts, girls may spend more time collecting water and less time learning. During floods, damaged roads and unsafe travel routes can prevent them from reaching school. Climate-related economic hardship may force families to prioritise immediate survival needs, leading to girls being withdrawn from school, pushed into domestic work, or married early.
Climate crises can also increase risks of gender-based violence, exploitation and psychosocial distress. Girls who are displaced or living in temporary shelter arrangements may face additional protection risks. For girls with disabilities, these challenges are often compounded by discrimination and limited access to information, services and assistive devices during emergencies.
Evidence from Kenya shows that climate change can undermine girls' health, increase school dropout rates and worsen financial pressures that contribute to child marriage9 10.
Yet despite being disproportionately affected, girls remain underrepresented in many climate resilience and adaptation initiatives. This represents a missed opportunity. Educated girls are not only better equipped to protect themselves and their communities, but they also contribute to healthier families, stronger economies and more sustainable development outcomes.
Ensuring girls can learn about climate change is therefore essential. Failure to do so not only perpetuate inequality but also weakens our collective response to the climate crisis.
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?
There is no single solution. Governments, schools, communities and families must work together to ensure all children, including girls, can access climate education and build resilience to climate-related risks.
At School Level
Schools have a vital role to play in both protecting children from climate risks and equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to respond.
This means creating safe, climate-resilient learning environments while ensuring that climate education is integrated into teaching and learning. Girls should not be viewed as passive victims of climate change, but as leaders, innovators and agents of change capable of contributing to solutions within their communities.
Key actions include:
- Integrating climate change and climate literacy into school curricula and teacher training i.e in Mozambique.
- Promoting girls' participation in STEM subjects and climate-related leadership opportunities.
- Supporting reading for learning through child-friendly climate resources and digital materials.
- Establishing inclusive climate and environmental clubs that actively engage girls and children with disabilities11.
- Supporting practical activities such as environmental clean-ups, tree planting and local conservation initiatives.
- Strengthening menstrual health and hygiene support so girls can continue learning during climate-related disruptions.
- Investing in locally led and indigenous environmental solutions.
Projects such as the Sierra Leone Coastal Resilience Project12 demonstrate how inclusive climate clubs can help girls, boys and children with disabilities participate meaningfully in climate awareness and environmental action.
Schools should also be supported to develop climate action and emergency preparedness plans that take gender into account and help ensure learning continuity during crises.
At Community Level
Communities play an equally important role in supporting girls' climate education:
- Parents, school management committees, community leaders and local organisations should be equipped to understand climate risks and their responsibilities in creating safe and inclusive learning environments.
- Particular attention should be given to ensuring that girls, children with disabilities and other vulnerable groups can participate fully in climate-related activities and decision-making.
At Government Level
Governments have a responsibility to ensure that education systems can withstand climate-related shocks and continue providing safe, inclusive learning opportunities for all children.
Key priorities include:
- nvesting in climate-resilient schools and infrastructure.
- Strengthening and financing education systems that can anticipate, withstand and recover from climate-related risks.
- Integrating gender-responsive climate planning and budgeting into education sector plans.
- Ensuring climate financing supports education continuity during emergencies.
- Linking climate resilience efforts with health, nutrition, protection and social care services so that children's broader needs are met.
Encouragingly, some progress is already being made. In South Sudan, new climate-resilient schools are expected to support more than 200,000 children affected by climate disasters, half of whom are girls13.
Governments can also draw on frameworks such as the Comprehensive School Safety Framework to strengthen resilience across education systems.
CONCLUSION
Climate change is one of the defining challenges of our time, and its impacts on children are growing. Yet millions of girls around the world still lack access to the education and information they need to understand climate risks and respond effectively.
If we fail to act, girls risk becoming further marginalised from climate decision-making and adaptation efforts. But by investing in safe, resilient and inclusive education today, we can help build stronger communities, accelerate climate action and ensure that no girl is left behind in the transition to a more sustainable and resilient future.
Inputs from Anja Nielsen, Rebecca Huddleston, Daljeet Kaur, Ayse Kocak, Sarah Knight, Sophie Lashford and Chrystal Holt.
References
[1] Sims, K. (2021). Education, Girls’ Education and Climate Change. K4D Emerging Issues Report 29. Institute of Development Studies. DOI: 10.19088/K4D.2021.044
[2] World Bank 2024, Choosing Our Future: Education for Climate Action.
[3] Plan International (2025), A Gathering Storm, A Study on the Gendered Impact of Climate Change on the Rights of Adolescent Girls & Young Women in the Sahel.
[4] UNICEF, (2021) The climate crisis is a child rights crisis Introducing, THE CHILDREN’S CLIMATE RISK INDEX
[5] SCI (2025), Participatory Climate Risk Vulnerability & Capacity Assessment (unpublished)
[6] UNESCO, (2021), Getting Every School Climate Ready, How countries are integrating Climate Change issues in Education
[7] Save the Children (2026), How Does Climate Change Affect Children? Impact on Health, Education and Safety | Save the Children UK
[8] Kwauk, C., Cooke, J., Hara, E., & Pegram, J. (2019). Girls’ education in climate strategies: Opportunities for improved policy and enhanced action in nationally determined contributions
[9] Ngao GK, Musyoka - Kamere IM. The Impact of Poor Health and Nutrition on Education in Kenya. Afr J Educ Sci Technol. 2013;1(3):81–5
[10] Carey T. Prolonged Droughts Are Putting Girls in Kenya at Heightened Risk of Child Marriage and Other Human Rights Abuses. Equality Now. 2023
[11] EENET, (2025), Enabling Education Review Issue 13 -Climate Change & Inclusive Education
[12] Sierra Leone Coastal Resilience Project | Save the Children International
