How are girls doing?: Success and Challenges

Compared with two decades ago, more young people are entering school, completing the primary level, and pursuing secondary and tertiary education. In low-income countries alone, average enrollment rates in primary education have surged upwards of 80 percent, and

primary completion rates are now above 60 percent. Remarkable accomplishments have been made towards achieving gender equality at all levels of education. Since 1990 the ratio of girls to boys enrolled in school has risen at all levels of education. The most significant increase in girls’ education enrollment in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia has been at the primary education level. In countries in East Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, the increase in girl’s education has been at the secondary education level while in countries in Europe and Central Asia, girls’ enrollment has risen most at the tertiary education level.Although most developing countries have made considerable progress in reducing the gender gap in school enrollment, significant gender gaps remain. Estimates show that many countries will not meet the education Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. Almost 30% of low- and middle-income countries are off-track or seriously off-track from meeting the education Millennium Development Goal of universal primary education. Additionally, more than 20% of low- and middle-income countries are off-track or seriously off-track from meeting the education Millennium Development Goal of empowering women and girls by achieving gender parity in education.

Who are we working with?

• UNICEF,
• UNESCO,
• Department for International Development (DFID),
• SIDA,
• NORAD,
• DANIDA,
• Global Campaign for Education

and others.