Centering girls’ protection, education and mental health in disaster response
Frank Manfredi, vice president for humanitarian programs at Plan International USA, wrote this article. For more information on Plan’s work, please get in touch with Frank Manfredi at [email protected].
When a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on March 28, the world’s attention quickly shifted to the destruction. Homes, hospitals and schools were destroyed. Roads and bridges collapsed. Families were displaced overnight, forced to seek shelter wherever they could. The confirmed toll now exceeds 3,500 deaths, with nearly 5,000 injured and over 200 people still missing.
But for thousands of girls, the most dangerous aftershocks were just beginning.
In displacement settings where normal social and protective structures break down, girls face heightened risks of trafficking, violence and being pulled permanently out of school. Without urgent action, thousands of girls are at risk of losing their future.
At Plan International, we are committed to standing with girls during this critical time. Despite challenges on the ground, our focus is clear: protect children's rights, ensure adolescent girls are not left behind and provide survivors with the tools they need to rebuild their lives with dignity.
The scale of devastation is massive. Beyond the physical destruction, displacement has severed the critical support systems children — especially girls — rely on. Without the stability of school, family networks and safe spaces, protection risks escalate quickly. In the chaos that follows a disaster, adolescent girls are often the first to lose access to education — and the last to regain it, if they return at all.
Globally, around 129 million girls are already out of school. Emergencies like this one push that number even higher, closing the door on opportunity for generations to come.
Today, girls in Myanmar face escalating threats, including:
— Increased risk of human trafficking due to displacement and dislocation.
— Violence and exploitation in displacement settings.
— Growing mental health challenges without access to services.
— Long-term disruption to their education. Over 24,000 schools have been affected, with 1,800 schools damaged or destroyed, further threatening girls' access to education.
We are already seeing troubling signs on the ground. Displacement camps have limited access to clean water, electricity and basic health care. Girls face increased risks of violence and abuse, while the need for mental health support is growing, especially among young survivors traumatized by the disaster. With the breakdown of law and order in many areas, the risk of human trafficking has spiked alarmingly.
Our teams are delivering critical support to survivors, with a strong focus on girls’ needs, including:
— Child protection services to prevent violence, abuse and trafficking.
— Psychological first aid and referrals for ongoing mental health care.
— Safe spaces and education activities to help children return to learning.
— Hygiene kits, menstrual health supplies and household items.
Girls’ voices are not just being heard — they are shaping our response. Through our GirlEngage approach, we are committed to involving girls in decisions that affect their lives, even in emergencies. We are actively including girls in our rapid response analysis to ensure their needs, priorities and solutions are reflected from the very beginning. Their leadership, ideas and perspectives are essential to building a recovery that is not just about survival, but about resilience and equality.
Our experience responding to crises worldwide tells us that flexible funding is the most powerful tool we have right now. It allows us to adapt quickly as needs shift, purchase and distribute essential supplies and support recovery programs that keep girls safe and learning.
This response is about more than immediate relief — it’s about the future. If we fail to protect girls now, the impacts will reverberate for years. Educating girls doesn’t just change individual lives; it transforms entire economies. Research shows that educating girls to the same level as boys could benefit low-income countries by at least $112 billion each year.
In the chaos left by disaster, girls deserve more than survival. They deserve a future.
You have the power to help girls reclaim their future.
Your contribution today can deliver critical supplies, create safe spaces and keep girls learning — giving them the strength and support they need to rebuild their lives with dignity, hope and opportunity.
Donate now to support girls
Stay updated on Plan International’s technical work by signing up for “From Plan to Action,” our quarterly newsletter.
