
Investing in girls’ and women's education can transform the experiences of individuals, as well as shape communities into the future. Girls who are given opportunities to receive an education are more likely to lead productive lives, participate in decision making processes, and shape the trajectories of others. The work of the ASEAN-UK SAGE programme reflects an overarching aim to better understand the challenges facing different types of girls and women in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, identify promising practices that can support girls and women, and create tangible recommendations for those responsible for supporting girls and women's educational trajectories across the lifespan. With 125,000 new users coming onto the Internet every day, the ASEAN digital economy is projected to grow significantly, adding an estimated $1 trillion to regional GDP over the next decade. There is a need to ensure the workforce is suitably equipped to support this economic transformation. Without focused policy and program effort, there is a risk that more marginalised populations, including girls and women, may miss out on developing skills that will be critical in the future labour market, thus contributing to further inequality and disenfranchisement. As part of a three-part series examining ways to support girls, women, and marginalised populations, this report focuses on understanding the current challenges ASEAN countries face in supporting girls and women to develop the basic digital literacy skills required to enter and thrive in the labour market.
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