Gender equality

Our faith drives us to empower vulnerable children, families, and communities to overcome challenges like gender inequality, poverty, and hunger.

Together, we can ensure equal rights and opportunities for everyone, everywhere.

Gender inequality: unfair barriers leading to a vicious cycle

In the world’s most fragile places, gender inequality can have devastating consequences for women and girls.

Consider that six out of 10 chronically hungry people are female.

Or that 351 million women and girls are expected to live in extreme poverty by 2030.

Additionally, 500 million women and girls lack a safe, clean facility for menstrual hygiene.

These disparities have lasting negative effects on young women's growth, cognitive development, and future opportunities.

5 ways sponsors stand up for gender equality

When you sponsor a child, you stand up for gender equality - and a stronger future for girls, their families and their communities. Here are 5 ways it happens.

Bridging the gender gap

Our gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) approach focuses on giving people, especially the most vulnerable children, families and communities, the power to make choices, access resources and participate in society.

Supporters like you enable us to:

Teach children and youth about their rights and the importance of mutual respect.
Build clean water and sanitation facilities in schools, so girls don't miss school because of their period.
Show parents that their daughters can accomplish great things with education and opportunities—just like their sons.
Facilitate savings groups and small business training for women so they can gain financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills.
Partner with community faith leaders against child marriage, female genital mutilation, violence against women and other forms of gender inequality.

Our impact

95%

adolescents enrolled in school were 95 per cent less likely to experience child marriage.

49,893

women were trained in business and entrepreneurial skills.

Empowering teenage girls in Bangladesh

Sultana and Maliha are part of a new girls’ group challenging harmful gender norms in their village.

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A group of Bangladeshi girls, wearing hijabs and niqabs, walk together on a path.

A young woman draped in a yellow scarf sits in front of a chalkboard covered with writing. (Kenya, 2018)

From Kenya to Australia

What does life after sponsorship look like? Read Nancy’s story and see what she achieved with help from her sponsor, Georgie.

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A young woman in a pink shirt, sits, holding small a child.

Guilhermina, a deaf teenager, finds new purpose in her community

Guilhermina and her son are taking a path toward transformational change through her participation in the Access to Justice for Adolescent Girls Who are Hard of Hearing project.

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Habiba, a teenage girl from Somalia, is drinking a cup of tea outside her home. (Somalia, 2023).

Harvesting hope: Habiba's story

The story of how a family overcame food insecurity from years of drought with help from World Vision.

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Cutting ties with FGM

Peninah had her genitals cut as a girl, marking the end of her childhood. Today, she’s speaking out against female genital mutilation (FGM) to prevent other childhoods from being cut short.

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Peninah, an advocate for girls in her community, is sitting in a classroom with her students.

Did you know?

Last year, 2,824 children’s clubs brought girls and boys together around topics like peace, advocacy and good water, sanitation and hygiene habits. Source: World Vision Canada 2025 Annual Results Report, pg. 70