Women illustration./ PHOTO ; Pexel
The Malala Fund has announced $4.8 million in new grants to support 21 organisations advancing girls’ education in Nigeria, Pakistan, Brazil, Ethiopia, and Tanzania.
The investment marks a significant step under the organisation’s 2025–2030 strategy, with 66% of the funding (about $3.17 million) directed to young women-led organisations, more than triple the Fund’s original target.
“I am incredibly proud that most of the funding we are awarding under our new strategy is going to organizations led by young women,” said Malala Yousafzai, Co-Founder and Executive Chair of Malala Fund.
“From reducing the cost of books and transport for girls in rural Pakistan to ensuring married girls and young mothers in Nigeria can complete secondary school, our partners are leading the fight for girls to learn, even under the toughest circumstances.”
The grants are issued through Malala Fund’s Education Champion Network (ECN), which supports civil society organisations working to advance girls’ education while driving policy change and implementation in their respective countries.
The latest cohort will confront urgent challenges including child marriage, conflict, systemic gender and racial discrimination, and shrinking public education budgets, issues that disproportionately affect the 31 million out-of-school girls living across these five countries.
“Our partners are closest to the challenges holding girls back and are delivering bold, practical, systemic solutions so girls can get the education they deserve,” said Lena Alfi, CEO of Malala Fund.
“With girls’ rights under pressure and resourcing slipping worldwide, the smartest investment we can make is in the young women and seasoned activists who know exactly how to defend them.”
In line with its commitment to long-term impact, the Malala Fund continues to prioritise flexible, multi-year grants that allow partners to allocate resources where they are most needed, from policy advocacy and budget accountability to safe-school programming, re-entry systems for young mothers, and eliminating hidden school costs.
The new cohort of ECN grantees will focus on the following priorities:
Nigeria:
• Scale gender-responsive budgeting, transparency, and citizen oversight
• Support school re-entry for married and pregnant girls
• Deploy digital tools that track education spending and infrastructure gaps
Pakistan:
• Address hidden schooling costs (transport, materials, uniforms)
• Restore flood-damaged schools
• Recruit female teachers
• Build accountability for gender-responsive local budgets
Brazil:
• Advocate for gender- and race-responsive education plans
• Implement menstrual dignity laws in schools
• Strengthen sexual health and anti-violence programming to keep girls in school
Ethiopia:
• Advance national and regional adoption of the Safe Schools Declaration
• Train teachers and officials on gender-based violence prevention
• Create safe spaces and provide psychosocial support in conflict-affected communities
Tanzania:
• Strengthen re-entry policies for young mothers
• Expand gender-based violence reporting mechanisms in schools
• Support legal reforms setting 18 as the minimum age of marriage with no exceptions
The Fund notes that its focus countries and, in Brazil’s case, targeted regions have some of the highest numbers and rates of out-of-school girls globally.
Nigeria and Pakistan alone are home to 15% of all out-of-school girls worldwide.
Across all five contexts, Malala Fund’s investments continue to build on established local partnerships and years of on-the-ground impact.
About Malala Fund
Malala Fund is an international organisation working to ensure every girl can access 12 years of free, safe, and quality education.
Founded by Malala Yousafzai and Ziauddin Yousafzai, the organisation partners with local educators and advocates to break down the barriers that keep girls out of school, including poverty, gender discrimination, conflict, and restrictive policies.
Through its Education Champion Network, Malala Fund supports civil society organisations working to advance girls’ education and influence policy change in their countries.
The Fund prioritises flexible, multi-year grants that allow partners to direct resources where they are most needed, from securing safe schools and strengthening re-entry policies for young mothers to improving government budgeting and addressing the hidden costs of education.
Malala Fund currently works in countries where girls face some of the highest barriers to education, including Nigeria, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Brazil, Tanzania, Afghanistan, and Lebanon.
