Education as a human right has been recognised and affirmed in various national and international declarations. Allowing more girls to enrol and complete education will have multiplier effects and contribute to increased income for families and improve living standards as alluded by Mahatma Ghandi: “Education of a girl means education of a family. Unless a woman is educated, there will never be an educated home or even an educated community.”

The approach to girls’ education is critical for both social and economic development. It is necessary to have clear understanding concerning how to provide essential education services to the girls’ population and improve their participation. This article analyses the current gender education policies and the extent to which these policies were upheld and implemented.

While the Government of PNG ostensibly supports girls to access education through its policies, and indeed has signed a number of human rights treaties to support girls’ rights, including the UN Convention on Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women and Convention on the Rights of the Child, these have not resulted in the number of girls’ participation in education. According to the National Department of Education, transition rates of girls from primary to secondary school and into tertiary institutions remain very low.