Updated regulations now require that school uniform policies adopted for the 2027/28 school year and beyond provide girls with the choice to wear trousers.
These provisions become legally binding under the School Uniforms Act, which was enacted by assembly members last year to tackle rising costs associated with school attire across Northern Ireland.
The legislation already established that existing laws empower female students to challenge their schools if they believe uniform requirements are inappropriate.
Givan noted that the updated framework will extend this flexibility to physical education classes as well.
While the new rules represent a significant shift, some members of the education committee had urged the minister to implement even more extensive changes.
The decision follows years of debate regarding the practicality and cost implications of traditional uniform mandates for female students.
Schools will need to revise their existing policies to comply with the mandatory inclusion of trousers as an acceptable option for girls.
Implementation is scheduled to take effect at the beginning of the 2027/28 academic year.