GIRLS' FEARS, HOPES AND DREAMS

The stories below are from our most recent report offering a 2025 snapshot of the state of the world’s girls - told through their own voices. Grounded in United Nations data and other key sources, including World Vision’s recent survey of 432 girls across 51 countries, it reveals strikingly consistent themes. From Spain to the UK, Nepal to Peru, their candid insights highlight both shared struggles and universal hopes.

This report amplifies what girls want for their futures, not just a litany of problems. In amplifying their voices, we seek to honour the determination and resilience of girls worldwide.

Keep scrolling to hear and watch girls' stories or access full PDF report, here.

Globally, 133 million girls are out of school.

Our survey revealed that one of girls’ fears is being pulled out of school simply because communities do not prioritise girls’ learning. One disruption to girls' education is child marriage - a social norm often rooted in the parents' belief that marriage will secure the girl’s future or relieve a financial burden. In most cases, when a girl is married off, her education typically ends.

Unfortunately, her worry is well-founded. Family poverty and lack of options can result in girls being pressured to become wives when they are still children, robbing them of their youth and educational potential.

In her context, bride price traditions (exchanging daughters for cattle or money) create a direct incentive to withdraw girls from school. She also noted, “Another issue is excessive work that exceeds your capacity,” referring to heavy household chores interfering with studies. Indeed, many girls must balance schooling with hours of housework or care for siblings, leaving little time for homework.

When marriage is not the reason, economic hardships often force girls to drop out. “I worry about my studies as my family’s condition is not very good. I worry if I will be able to pursue higher studies or not,” Preeti, 16, from Nepal told us.

Child marriage not only pulls girls out of school, it often leads to early pregnancy and health risks, effectively closing off pathways to the dreams they shared with us. On the flipside, educated girls marry later, have healthier children, earn higher incomes, and are more likely to reinvest in their families, breaking cycles of poverty.

To honour such dreams, we must work to remove the obstacles – from child marriage to school fees – that continue to interrupt girls’ education.

Deep-rooted social norms and gender discrimination continue to limit girls’ potential worldwide.

One clear illustration is the burden of household chores. From an early age, girls are expected to cook, clean, fetch water, care for younger siblings, and more:

Globally, girls aged 5–14 spend 160 million more hours per day on unpaid care and domestic work than boys the same age. That is 40% more time spent on tasks that often go unrecognised but directly impact their ability to study or enjoy childhood.

Another harmful norm is the control over girls’ autonomy and decision-making. In many places, girls are not expected to have a say in important life decisions – whether it’s choosing a career, whom to marry, or even day-to-day choices like clothing and friendships:

Her words highlight a critical point: when a girl cannot direct her own life, she becomes trapped in roles others have decided for her.

Fear of violence and abuse is - for many - the worst part of being a girl.

Violence against girls remains pervasive, taking many forms: bullying in schools, sexual harassment on the streets, beatings in the home, trafficking and rape in conflict zones, and online abuse, to name a few.

It is chilling that she speaks of rape as a common threat “among girls right now.” Unfortunately, global data supports her perception. Around the world, 1 in 8 girls has experienced forced sexual violence.

Elisneith, an 11-year-old in Colombia echoed similar worries:

Her fear of kidnapping and harassment is a reality in many places – whether it’s the risk of human trafficking or abuse by someone in the community.

Violence in its many forms leaves lasting scars:

Indeed, one in three students globally experiences bullying in school. Such a climate of fear and intimidation erodes girls’ confidence and mental health, and can keep them from fully participating in school or community life.

It must be emphasised that violence is not a “girls’ issue” – it is a societal issue. Girls are targeted precisely because perpetrators (mostly men or boys) are able to act with impunity, driven by norms that have tolerated violence against women and children. To protect girls, we need both strong laws and effective enforcement, as well as norm change.

For millions of girls, getting their first period ushers in new challenges and stigma.

Menstrual stigma and lack of sanitary support are causing girls to miss school and feel ashamed. In many countries, menstruation is shrouded in taboo, and inadequate facilities make it hard for girls to manage periods with dignity.

Beyond the cramps and inconvenience, it’s the social treatment during menstruation that really troubled them:

In parts of Nepal (and elsewhere), menstruating girls and women are considered “impure” and are isolated – sometimes even made to sleep in a shed.

Physical pain and social stigma aside, the practical challenges are just as serious:

These strong words – angry, disgusted – highlight how indignity around menstruation affects girls emotionally. Lacking proper menstrual products often leads to girls missing school days every month. They fear leakage and humiliation, or they simply cannot manage their period at school if there’s no water or privacy.

Phimchai, an 11-year-old from Laos, shared a simple wish:

We cannot allow the shame and logistical barriers to continue to undermine girls' educational progess by missing class. An innovative World Vision programme in Zimbabwe, funded by the UK Government, previously helped address this and other barriers to girls’ education through a nine-part strategy that saw community leaders and men help make reusable pads for their girls and advocate for their inclusion in school, among other activities.

Girls are taking on economic worries and dealing with the weight of conflict.

Although their gender does play a role in the worries of many of the girls we spoke with, many of them also reflect broader crises and difficulties in their societies. Girls repeatedly mentioned economic hardship (especially rising food prices) and conflict or insecurity in their interviews.

Food insecurity emerged as the single largest economic concern:

The highest numbers of girls mentioning hunger and food were in Peru and El Salvador, where our 2024 food price survey found it would take more than 12 hours work to earn enough to buy a basic food basket, more than four times the equivalent in Spain or New Zealand.

Beyond economic pressures, conflict and insecurity create an environment where girls consistently report that conflict makes their gender identity itself a liability and impacts their mental health.

Constant fear, witnessing violence, and trauma is a relentless attack on the mental well-being of girls:

We heard girls mentioning being afraid of the dark or loud noises. Sandra, 17, from DRC, describes the relentless nature of conflict:

It’s important to note that conflict and economic problems are often intertwined. War drives inflation and hunger (as we saw with Ukraine’s war affecting grain supplies), and conversely, desperate economic conditions can fuel conflict by driving competition over limited resources. For girls, these issues compound. For example, in a famine caused by conflict, a girl might face starvation (economic issue) and risk of being trafficked or assaulted (security issue) if she travels to find food.