Life skills are the critical skills that girls, and children of all genders, need to meet day-to-day challenges and make informed decisions. Life skills like self-confidence, perseverance, critical thinking and communicating assertively are particularly important skills for girls to develop so that they can advocate for themselves, deal with peer pressure, manage difficult emotions — and so much more. When girls learn these skills and how to use them daily, they become better equipped to handle life’s challenges, from overcoming harmful gender stereotypes to mitigating the impacts of climate change.
At Room to Read, we know that when we equip adolescent children with safe spaces to both learn and practice life skills, they will develop the foundational tools they need to establish a fulfilling future.
In the first version of our life skills curriculum, Room to Read drew inspiration from the 10-life-skill framework developed by the World Health Organization, which fall under three key domains: self-awareness, self-efficacy and social awareness.
Over time, new evidence has emerged on the importance of life skills. In response to this new research, we underwent a thorough review of our life skills framework, aligning it with our revised curriculum.
The result: our Life Skills Framework 2.0.
Five life skills for girls
The five life skills for girls outlined in the framework below help girls stay in school, make responsible decisions, build healthy relationships and achieve their goals.
Room to Read’s life skills curriculum supports girls (and boys!) as they pursue a fulfilling path and change their communities and the world for the better. Room to Read educators help girls strengthen their ability to overcome obstacles, manage their time, build healthy relationships and plan for their careers through age-appropriate activities and role plays.
As they grow, girls in our program also acquire practical knowledge on essential topics like sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence, financial literacy and climate justice, and learn to think critically and constructively about their choices and behaviors.
Grade 8 students enrolled in Room to Read’s Girls’ Education Program, for example, might begin a lesson on critical thinking skills by reflecting on the differences between facts and opinions.
In small groups or pairs, girls might then analyze a list of statements and discuss which can be proven, and which cannot be proven, which are facts, and which are opinions — “on a sunny day, the sky is blue,” “mangoes are the best tasting fruit,” “July is one of the hottest months,” “the countries with the most people are China and India,” and so on.
The girls are then asked to practice thinking deeply and critically about a topic, stating their opinions and making an argument. An educator might pose a question like “in your area, what are the professions that you think are needed?” The girls are then asked to form an opinion supported by facts and given tips to be able to state their arguments respectfully and calmly, even when they disagree with their classmates.
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