Landmark study shows global gains for girls, but threats to progress loom
26 February 2026Groundbreaking research from Plan International that has documented girls from birth for eighteen years reveals that globally, girls’ lives have improved significantly over the past two decades but identifies these gains are now at risk with the next wave of challenges approaching.
With improved access to education, girls are dreaming bigger and new laws protecting them from child marriage means they have broader choices in shaping their futures. But significant barriers – including widespread gender-based violence and the ever-worsening impacts of climate change – still stand in the way of equality.
The first and only qualitative study to have followed a single group of girls for so long.
The Real Choices, Real Lives study tracked the lives of 142 girls over 18 years, following the same cohort from birth to adulthood across nine mostly low-income countries. It documented their experiences of and reflections on growing up in Benin, Brazil, Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, the Philippines, Togo, Uganda and Vietnam. It is the first and only qualitative study to have followed a single group of girls for so long.
The research showed significant intergenerational progress across a wide range of indicators. By 2024, nearly two‑thirds of the girls were completing or had completed secondary education and 9% had moved on to university, far outstripping the educational levels of their mothers, most of whom had only primary schooling or none at all.
Fewer girls married as children
Fewer girls were married as children than the previous generation, with just over one in ten married or in unions by age 18, compared to almost half of their mothers. “My hopes for tomorrow are to continue my studies, to have diplomas, to have a job and a better future,” said Catherine, a study participant from Benin, aged 16 at the time.
But there remains significant progress to be made: an alarming 91% of the girls in the study experienced violence by the age of 11. Normalisation of violence affects girls’ confidence, relationships and limits their political voice. New types of harm, such as online harassment, are extending these risks into digital spaces.
The research also identified that long standing gender expectations meant that supporting their families’ livelihoods falls overwhelmingly on girls’ shoulders. On average, girls spent five hours a day on unpaid care work, cooking, cleaning, and caring for siblings – often from a very young age, which the boys in their families were not asked to do. This “time poverty” leaves little room for education, rest, play, or social participation. As well as additional responsibilities in the home, many girls also lacked access to healthcare, frequently due to gender biases that prioritise boys’ needs.
Impacts of climate crisis and anti-rights movements
In addition to these challenges, the climate crisis is already setting back the progress of recent decades, with droughts, floods and failed harvests pushing families deeper into poverty. When food is scarce and incomes collapse, girls are more likely to miss school, take on even more household work and face heightened risks of violence.
Rising anti-rights movements were identified in the report as a new emerging threat to girls’ freedoms and rights, seeking to restrict education, agency and civic engagement. Funding cuts and more restrictive laws on sexual and reproductive health are creating environments where girls are discouraged from speaking out and denied essential services.
“Supporting girls through puberty is critical.”
Keya Khandaker, Research Manager
“The study showed adolescence to be an important tipping point. It is typically the period in which gender norms tighten, freedoms shrink and inequalities grow. They are expected to protect themselves from harassment or assault, limit their movements, take on more household responsibilities and in many cases, sacrifice their education to support their families’ livelihoods – all while facing rising risks of violence, early pregnancy and marriage,” said Keya Khandaker, Research Manager at Plan International.
“Supporting girls through puberty is critical. By providing them with education and opportunities, evidence shows that can drastically improve the trajectory of their lives – and of their entire communities.”
Girls are challenging gendered expectations
Throughout the study, girls consistently challenged the gender norms imposed on them. Many described wanting lives that were different from their mothers’, with careers in medicine, law, engineering, teaching, business or public service, and a determination not to marry or have children too young.
Despite the dangers of openly resisting gender norms, over half did so, while others found informal ways to engage in politics and drive change in their communities. To achieve their goals, the girls called for meaningful platforms to raise their voices, influence decisions, and access programmes and funding that promote gender equality and strengthen resilience.
“If we fail to act now, we risk failing an entire generation of girls.”
Rheena Ghelani, Chief Executive Officer.
Participants said they needed comprehensive support that tackles gender inequalities, keeping them safe and in school, learning, even through adolescence, pregnancy or crises. Many of them flagged that it should be the responsibility of adults in their communities to prevent violence against girls.
“Governments, NGOs and communities must listen to girls and place them at the centre of decisions that shape their lives. At a time when communities are already facing rising economic pressure, increasing conflicts and worsening climate impacts, the growing strength of anti-rights movements further threatens the progress girls have fought so hard to achieve. If we fail to act now, we risk failing an entire generation of girls,” said Reena Ghelani, Chief Executive Officer at Plan International.
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