Exploring the School to Work Transition for Adolescent Girls

The School-to-Work Transition for Adolescent Girls report examines the structural, social, and economic barriers that shape adolescent girls’ transitions from education to employment in low- and middle-income contexts. Rather than focusing solely on access to schooling, the report analyzes how gender norms, unpaid care responsibilities, early marriage, skills mismatches, and labor market constraints interact to limit girls’ economic participation. It synthesizes global evidence to assess what supports—or hinders—girls’ ability to move into safe, decent, and sustainable work opportunities.

The report advances a framework for more gender-responsive and context-specific programming, advocating for integrated approaches that combine life skills, market-relevant training, social norm change, and systems-level reform. It emphasizes the importance of aligning education systems, vocational training, and labor market policies, while strengthening safeguarding, mentorship, and private-sector engagement. Overall, the report positions school-to-work transition not only as an economic issue but as a multidimensional equity challenge requiring coordinated policy, community, and institutional action.