This literature review will trace the recent history of the globalisation of human rights with reference to education, particularly for girls and women, but also looking more broadly to include education for boys and men. The main paradigms--traditional, neo-liberalism and philanthrocapitalism--for providing education in developing countries will be defined. This will be followed by a consideration of the lack of forethought and the difficulties encountered in providing education for females, along with techniques suggested for addressing the issues. There will be a brief look at the way forward. This is a fluid, changing area as conferences and committees around the world are continually meeting, and new ideas, values and goals are being proposed for consideration.