This article is based on empirical work which examined the inclusion of women and girls in the UK’s Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) agenda. It focuses specifically on a road show designed to raise the academic aspirations of Muslim girls in order to improve Muslim women’s performance in the labour market. It begins by illustrating how global development discourses of girls’ empowerment (the ‘Girl Effect’) permeate the rationale for the road shows. The article interrogates these overarching narratives through analysis of interview material and participant observation. First, it highlights the diversity amongst Muslim girls in terms of region, social class and ethnicity. Second, it interrogates the rationale for the project, addressing other factors such as discrimination which also affect Muslim women’s position in the labour market. It concludes by stressing the importance of ‘writing against culture’ and thinking intersectionality about ‘Muslim girls’, not only as Muslims but as ‘girls who are Muslim’.