More than 58 million children around the world are missing out on a primary school education and the majority of them are girls, former prime minister Julia Gillard says.
She says while improvements have been made, more resources are needed for education programs to help children in developing countries and described it as "truly tragic" that aid donations for education had fallen in recent years.
She says the economic strength and wellbeing of the world is centred on the education of girls.
"It is morally just and right to educate girls," Ms Gillard told a free public lecture at the University of Adelaide on Monday.
"It can also be looked at through a security lens.
"There is a reason that terrorists violently target the education of girls.
"Women's empowerment is the antithesis of their brutal ideology of subjugation and sexual slavery."
All tickets for Ms Gillard's lecture were snapped up within minutes, prompting the university to stream it live on the internet and to also show it on a large screen on the lawns outside.
It was the former prime minister's second lecture at the university since her departure from politics and since being appointed a visiting professor.
Civil engineering student Laura Rossi described the lecture as a "real eye opener".
"She's been touching on a lot of topics regarding universal education and particularly education of girls in developing countries," Ms Rossi said.
High school teacher and University of Adelaide graduate Jenny Liu said gender equity in education was also an issue in her home country of China.
Indian student Sushrut Kulkarni said major changes were needed to give women better access to professional degrees including engineering.
"I wouldn't say they are male dominated but it still has vestiges of what it was before," he said.
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