Engaged mothers: finding the missing link in girls' education

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Since the 1990s, Pakistan has introduced various initiatives, action plans and structural reforms in the education sector, with a dedicated focus on promoting girls' education. While these programmes have yielded progress, expanding school coverage, improving instruction and delivery and enhancing facilities, one crucial question remains: why have decades of efforts not translated into long-lasting, transformative results?

Despite advancements, the country continues to grapple with high numbers of out-of-school girls and even greater female learning poverty. As of 2022-23, around 13.71 million girls remain out of school, while the female literacy rate from the 2023 Population Census stands at just 52.5 per cent, indicating that nearly half of the female population is illiterate. These dismal figures not only reflect lost potential but also hinder women's ability to contribute as functional members of society.

While external factors like the pandemic, persistent floods, climate-induced disasters, growing poverty and instability have exacerbated the crisis, deeply entrenched sociocultural norms remain a significant barrier.

The oft-cited reasons for low female enrollment include poverty and societal perceptions. According to the World Bank, girls from low-income families are 52 per cent less likely to attend school than their wealthier counterparts.

To address this, the government has introduced cash transfer programmes to incentivise enrollments and recently initiated school meal programmes in several districts. However, the more complex challenge lies in shifting sociocultural norms and beliefs. Many families remain disinterested in girls' education beyond the primary level, considering it unnecessary due to socially designated gender roles, where girls are expected to be caregivers and homemakers while boys assume the role of breadwinners. Addressing this requires more than community engagement — it demands systemic and societal change.

One powerful yet often overlooked solution is engaging mothers. Research has consistently shown that educated mothers lead to educated daughters and positively influence overall learning quality. A growing body of literature further suggests that a mother's agency plays a decisive role in her daughter's education. While agency stems from multiple factors, financial empowerment is among the most critical.

This academic premise was reinforced by real-world evidence when Pakistan Alliance for Girls Education (PAGE) implemented an intervention for highly vulnerable Afghan refugee communities across eight districts, including Lakki Marwat, Haripur, Peshawar, Nowshera, Mansehra, Rawalpindi, Quetta and Karachi.

The Action for Gender Equity in Education project provided an inclusive learning environment, foundational knowledge and essential skills for Afghan girls. However, the initiative went a step further by targeting the community as a whole, engaging women — mostly mothers — in skill-building programmes, including vocational training, digital marketing and language proficiency courses.

The impact was profound. A total of 794 students (including boys) were enrolled, while 353 Afghan women and girls participated in the bootcamp and 611 graduated from the language and cultural programme.

Language barriers often limit Afghan women's market access and render low self-confidence, so the language programmes were aimed at removing these hurdles. Similarly, the marketing bootcamp included exhibitions to provide hands-on experience in sales and business operations.

To measure the intervention's effectiveness, a sample of girls and women was tracked. All participants reported an increase in decision-making power at the household level. More strikingly, 58 per cent of those who were unemployed before the bootcamp started generating income post-intervention, with 80 per cent of all graduates earning some form of income. Among language and cultural programme graduates, 98 per cent reported increased self-confidence — a crucial factor in fostering agency.

A particularly revealing outcome emerged when mothers were surveyed post-programme. Those who participated in the marketing bootcamp and language programmes showed a significantly higher recognition of the importance of children's education. Ninety per cent of involved mothers reported actively supporting their children's education at home, compared to just 15 per cent of uninvolved (neutral) mothers.

Furthermore, 86 per cent of engaged mothers observed improvements in their children's academic performance and attitude, compared to only 30 per cent among neutral mothers. Perhaps most notably, 76 per cent of participating mothers said they would advocate for their children's education in the face of family restrictions, compared to a mere 13 per cent of uninvolved mothers.

These findings are even more remarkable considering the communities in question — ones marked by extreme poverty, displacement and conflict. If such interventions can yield significant results under these circumstances, they can be equally, if not more, effective in other marginalised communities.

Policymakers must recognise this missing link in education promotion. While spreading awareness about the importance of girls' education is essential, direct engagement with mothers is far more impactful in countering sociocultural resistance. A holistic approach to girls' education is more urgent than ever.

We have spent years increasing the number of schools, expanding classrooms, introducing cash transfers, and even launching school meal programmes. While these efforts are necessary, they remain incomplete without parental engagement, particularly that of mothers. When we empower mothers, we influence entire households, including fathers and other male family members.

A truly transformative education strategy must recognise that an educated, financially empowered mother is not just an asset to her family — she is the key to breaking the cycle of illiteracy and poverty for generations to come.